Which over ear headphones?
Discussion
Looking to get the wife a pair of over ear headphones for music and using for work Teams calls, so must have…
Good noise cancelling
Good sound quality for music
Microphone for laptop Teams calls
Bluetooth
No particular budget but preferably no more than say £300ish
Any suggestions please?
Good noise cancelling
Good sound quality for music
Microphone for laptop Teams calls
Bluetooth
No particular budget but preferably no more than say £300ish
Any suggestions please?
Sony WH-1000XM4 without hesitation and many on here would agree.
https://www.sony.co.uk/store/product/wh1000xm4b.ce...
I've had the older 3 version for about 5 years and I wear them every day in work (very loud fabrication workshop) for 4 hours. Very comfortable and superb quantity. Wifey had had the 4's for a couple of years that are a shade better but not enough to justify an upgrade for me.
Sony has bought out a newer XM5 version but have totally changed how they fold and makes the case bigger - big mistake in my book.
https://www.sony.co.uk/store/product/wh1000xm4b.ce...
I've had the older 3 version for about 5 years and I wear them every day in work (very loud fabrication workshop) for 4 hours. Very comfortable and superb quantity. Wifey had had the 4's for a couple of years that are a shade better but not enough to justify an upgrade for me.
Sony has bought out a newer XM5 version but have totally changed how they fold and makes the case bigger - big mistake in my book.
dickymint said:
Sony WH-1000XM4 without hesitation and many on here would agree.
https://www.sony.co.uk/store/product/wh1000xm4b.ce...
I've had the older 3 version for about 5 years and I wear them every day in work (very loud fabrication workshop) for 4 hours. Very comfortable and superb quantity. Wifey had had the 4's for a couple of years that are a shade better but not enough to justify an upgrade for me.
Sony has bought out a newer XM5 version but have totally changed how they fold and makes the case bigger - big mistake in my book.
2nd'ed...https://www.sony.co.uk/store/product/wh1000xm4b.ce...
I've had the older 3 version for about 5 years and I wear them every day in work (very loud fabrication workshop) for 4 hours. Very comfortable and superb quantity. Wifey had had the 4's for a couple of years that are a shade better but not enough to justify an upgrade for me.
Sony has bought out a newer XM5 version but have totally changed how they fold and makes the case bigger - big mistake in my book.
My intention is to purchase Bose QC Ultra in the Black Friday sales. I am hoping they will come down to around £300.
I've got the QC35s at present which are absolutely amazing. The best ANC on the market. I work in loud environments from where I often conduct video calls, and these are amazing in both directions at cutting out the background noise around me - for me - and not transmitting that noise to people on the other end.
Separately, I use them for my electronic drum kit too. I'll be keeping the QC35s for that purpose and the Ultras will move around with me and my laptop.
I've got the QC35s at present which are absolutely amazing. The best ANC on the market. I work in loud environments from where I often conduct video calls, and these are amazing in both directions at cutting out the background noise around me - for me - and not transmitting that noise to people on the other end.
Separately, I use them for my electronic drum kit too. I'll be keeping the QC35s for that purpose and the Ultras will move around with me and my laptop.
I have the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2's.
They are bang on budget (£299) and Bluetooth although you can connect with a wire for when you're on a flight and want to watch airline content. They have good noise cancelling. I wouldn't say they are class leading in that respect, the Bose seemed better, but they are more than good enough.
They sound fantastic for music. More so than the Bose in my opinion. They are more forward sounding so maybe not as the artist intended but loads of punch and dynamics which is how I prefer to listen to music. This was the most important factor for me, and I tried a few options before getting the B&W. I was disappointed with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4's which have absolutely no punch or dynamics to them. I tried some Focal's (can't remember the model), and they were a bit flatter and more lifeless but very clear and good with vocals.
I've not used the microphone for anything yet, but I think you can do phone calls and Teams calls with them.
They are bang on budget (£299) and Bluetooth although you can connect with a wire for when you're on a flight and want to watch airline content. They have good noise cancelling. I wouldn't say they are class leading in that respect, the Bose seemed better, but they are more than good enough.
They sound fantastic for music. More so than the Bose in my opinion. They are more forward sounding so maybe not as the artist intended but loads of punch and dynamics which is how I prefer to listen to music. This was the most important factor for me, and I tried a few options before getting the B&W. I was disappointed with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4's which have absolutely no punch or dynamics to them. I tried some Focal's (can't remember the model), and they were a bit flatter and more lifeless but very clear and good with vocals.
I've not used the microphone for anything yet, but I think you can do phone calls and Teams calls with them.
Teams certified Jabra Evolve 2 headset.
https://www.jabra.com/en-gb/business/office-headse...
Will do music perfectly well and work well with Teams. You want a boom mic for good call quality on the other end. Ideally the mic should be separated from the speakers and as close to the mouth as possible for the best sound quality. All the suggestions on this thread will be compromised for Teams calls because they don’t have a boom mic.
Don’t worry about the prices on the above webpage, they are a lot cheaper retail. You should be able to get a top of the line 85 model for your £300.
https://www.jabra.com/en-gb/business/office-headse...
Will do music perfectly well and work well with Teams. You want a boom mic for good call quality on the other end. Ideally the mic should be separated from the speakers and as close to the mouth as possible for the best sound quality. All the suggestions on this thread will be compromised for Teams calls because they don’t have a boom mic.
Don’t worry about the prices on the above webpage, they are a lot cheaper retail. You should be able to get a top of the line 85 model for your £300.
Edited by wyson on Wednesday 6th November 21:26
toon10 said:
I have the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2's.
They are bang on budget (£299) and Bluetooth although you can connect with a wire for when you're on a flight and want to watch airline content. They have good noise cancelling. I wouldn't say they are class leading in that respect, the Bose seemed better, but they are more than good enough.
They sound fantastic for music. More so than the Bose in my opinion. They are more forward sounding so maybe not as the artist intended but loads of punch and dynamics which is how I prefer to listen to music. This was the most important factor for me, and I tried a few options before getting the B&W. I was disappointed with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4's which have absolutely no punch or dynamics to them. I tried some Focal's (can't remember the model), and they were a bit flatter and more lifeless but very clear and good with vocals.
I've not used the microphone for anything yet, but I think you can do phone calls and Teams calls with them.
These are down to £250 at Amazon but the previous version are £180 at John Lewis!They are bang on budget (£299) and Bluetooth although you can connect with a wire for when you're on a flight and want to watch airline content. They have good noise cancelling. I wouldn't say they are class leading in that respect, the Bose seemed better, but they are more than good enough.
They sound fantastic for music. More so than the Bose in my opinion. They are more forward sounding so maybe not as the artist intended but loads of punch and dynamics which is how I prefer to listen to music. This was the most important factor for me, and I tried a few options before getting the B&W. I was disappointed with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4's which have absolutely no punch or dynamics to them. I tried some Focal's (can't remember the model), and they were a bit flatter and more lifeless but very clear and good with vocals.
I've not used the microphone for anything yet, but I think you can do phone calls and Teams calls with them.
Some good replies, thanks.
Jabra Evolve2 65 - These being Microsoft Teams approved seem good as they have noise cancelling on the mic so background noise isn't heard by listeners on the Teams call, but I don't think they have noise cancelling on the earphones which is s must.
Sony XM4 - I own this and the wife has tried them, loves the sound quality for music, loves the sound cancelling but she hasn't tried them on a Teams call yet to see how the built in mic performs.
Bose Quiet Comfort seem to have good reviews and have good noise cancelling, good sound quality for music but have an inbuilt mic and not a boom mic. Seems the Quiet Comfort SC (soft case?) are the same but about £45 cheaper as they have a soft case instead of hard.
I'm leaning leaning towards buying her the Sony XM4's or the Bose Quiet Comforts SC. Some Black Friday deals are already out and I'll see how they price tomorrow.
Jabra Evolve2 65 - These being Microsoft Teams approved seem good as they have noise cancelling on the mic so background noise isn't heard by listeners on the Teams call, but I don't think they have noise cancelling on the earphones which is s must.
Sony XM4 - I own this and the wife has tried them, loves the sound quality for music, loves the sound cancelling but she hasn't tried them on a Teams call yet to see how the built in mic performs.
Bose Quiet Comfort seem to have good reviews and have good noise cancelling, good sound quality for music but have an inbuilt mic and not a boom mic. Seems the Quiet Comfort SC (soft case?) are the same but about £45 cheaper as they have a soft case instead of hard.
I'm leaning leaning towards buying her the Sony XM4's or the Bose Quiet Comforts SC. Some Black Friday deals are already out and I'll see how they price tomorrow.
Edited by The Gauge on Thursday 21st November 14:00
Jabra Evolve 2 75s have active noise cancelling on the earphones.
For teams calls, a dedicated headset with a boom mic will perform much better than a consumer music orientated headset.
Buy for the primary use. If its for flights, chilling with occasional calls, Sony XM5 etc would be the best bet.
If sitting on 9-5 Teams calls, buy a dedicated Teams certified headset. I have the Evolve 75’s, their music quality is really decent. Of course not as good as my ‘audiophile’ Grado SR225’s, but I’d happily listen to them.
The Evolve 75’s are standard issue at my firm. I can’t stress how much difference they make to the person on the other side of the call. I can always tell when my colleagues aren’t using them (Assortment of Bose over ear, Sony over ear and Airpods). Lots more background noise that often drowns out their voice. It doesn’t make a great impression if you are trying to sound professional and your speech is constantly interrupted by someone banging around in the kitchen or the dog barking or kids whining. With the Evolve 75’s on, more often than not, you can’t hear anything and it’s the caller that interrupts saying they are sorry, they have to settle the dog, back in 2 mins etc.
For teams calls, a dedicated headset with a boom mic will perform much better than a consumer music orientated headset.
Buy for the primary use. If its for flights, chilling with occasional calls, Sony XM5 etc would be the best bet.
If sitting on 9-5 Teams calls, buy a dedicated Teams certified headset. I have the Evolve 75’s, their music quality is really decent. Of course not as good as my ‘audiophile’ Grado SR225’s, but I’d happily listen to them.
The Evolve 75’s are standard issue at my firm. I can’t stress how much difference they make to the person on the other side of the call. I can always tell when my colleagues aren’t using them (Assortment of Bose over ear, Sony over ear and Airpods). Lots more background noise that often drowns out their voice. It doesn’t make a great impression if you are trying to sound professional and your speech is constantly interrupted by someone banging around in the kitchen or the dog barking or kids whining. With the Evolve 75’s on, more often than not, you can’t hear anything and it’s the caller that interrupts saying they are sorry, they have to settle the dog, back in 2 mins etc.
Edited by wyson on Friday 22 November 06:53
The wife tried my Sony XM4's yesterday for some Teams calls and they went down well. Im sure the Jabra headphones would have performed better, but as she isn't on Teams calls all day and likes the music sound quality and ANC of the XM4's I ordered her a pair whilst they 'appear' to be reduced on Amazon @£179 for Black Friday. Their hard case will suit her when travelling too,
In a fit of uncertainty, I also ordered the Bose QuietComfort SC's (soft case) for £176 from Amazon. Bose had them for the same price but l notice today they have increased them to £189. Probably in anticipation of Black Friday coming?
So I'll wait to see what happens to the prices on Black Friday and before returning the the Bose to Amazon. The wifes Xmas present is now sorted. Cheers
In a fit of uncertainty, I also ordered the Bose QuietComfort SC's (soft case) for £176 from Amazon. Bose had them for the same price but l notice today they have increased them to £189. Probably in anticipation of Black Friday coming?
So I'll wait to see what happens to the prices on Black Friday and before returning the the Bose to Amazon. The wifes Xmas present is now sorted. Cheers
Edited by The Gauge on Friday 22 November 08:13
I have the Bose QC45 SE. It seems they're called 'SC' now but its all the same, a soft neoprene like slip to put them in instead of a hard shell case. I bought a hard shell case from Amazon for about a tenner and its been fine.
The headphones themselves are amazing, I travel regularly to Norway on prop planes and its whisper quiet with the 45s on. Good sound quality and good bass etc. Not the best for Teams calls though I will admit, when I'm calling my colleagues I will leave the 45s on but if I have a call with a vendor or supplier I will switch to my wired set with a boom mic.
The headphones themselves are amazing, I travel regularly to Norway on prop planes and its whisper quiet with the 45s on. Good sound quality and good bass etc. Not the best for Teams calls though I will admit, when I'm calling my colleagues I will leave the 45s on but if I have a call with a vendor or supplier I will switch to my wired set with a boom mic.
I’ve got the Sony after 3 failed sets of the B&W’s (all replaced, but eventually took a refund).
They are equal in sound quality, maybe slightly better on canceling and have so far outlasted all 3 B&W’s.
What I would say though, is that whilst the B&W’s are make of lovely materials and come in a stylish case, the Sonys look and feel the same as £15 pair from Argos, made of creaky plastic.
It’s like comparing Aston Martin vs. Kia interiors looking at them and handling them.
I didn’t often use the microphone on either of them.
They are equal in sound quality, maybe slightly better on canceling and have so far outlasted all 3 B&W’s.
What I would say though, is that whilst the B&W’s are make of lovely materials and come in a stylish case, the Sonys look and feel the same as £15 pair from Argos, made of creaky plastic.
It’s like comparing Aston Martin vs. Kia interiors looking at them and handling them.
I didn’t often use the microphone on either of them.
If anyone is thinking about buying Bose headphones keep an eye on their refurbished shop -
https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/products/certified_re...
Generally products that have failed out of box, gone back to Bose and been fixed.
They come with the same warranty as a new pair.
https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/products/certified_re...
Generally products that have failed out of box, gone back to Bose and been fixed.
They come with the same warranty as a new pair.
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