Wireless headphones I use
by Volker Weber
These are not recommendations but simply headphones I use for various reasons:
- Apple Airpods are my go-to headphones for everything. They live in my pocket. I use them for phone calls and playing music. They don't run very long but quickly recharge in their case which always lasts me a day.
- Marshall Monitor Bluetooth is my favorite headset when I want to hear music and nothing else. They run for at least 24 hours, no matter how far you crank them up. I hardly ever go beyond 50% volume. Very tight fit over the ears, not particularly comfortable, and still my favorite cans for listening to rock.
- Plantronics BackBeat Fit is the only headset I wear on a bike. Not a very good sound but you can hear what is going on around you so you don't get run over by a car coming from behind. I don't do workouts, but I would use these since they seem to resist moisture very well.
- I use Jaybird X3 on my Android devices. They are ear-canal headphones that complelely seal your ears. They run for about six hours on a single charge which is pretty long for earbuds this light.
- Before I got the Marshall headset I used the Urbanears Plattan ADV Wireless a lot. They are on-ear headphones and don't provide good isolation, but they are very comfortable and inexpensive. Marshall Headphones, which is like Urbanears a Zound Industries company, has the Major II Bluetooth headset which is technically similar, also very comfortable. I prefer the knob control over the touchpad on the Plattan.
There are quite a few headsets that are probably better. Sennheiser has excellent gear, so does beyerdynamic. I don't like the sound of Beats and I have no experience with B&O Play, Audio-Technica, or Bowers & Wilkins.
If you need good headphones for travelling and don't mind spending a lot of money, Bose QC 35 is the headset of choice. QC 30 is an interesting alternative because they let you sleep easier. Bose is the master of noise cancellation.
What are your favorites?
Comments
What happened to the other Plantronics, e.g. the Voyager 8200 UC?
For noise cancelling, I prefer the Bose QuietComfort 20s - they're incredibly comfortable and tiny for travel or just having in my bag all the time.
For non-noise cancelling, I am really enjoying the B&O H6 cans. They're super comfortable & sound amazing, which are both important to me.
I haven't invested in a pair of Bluetooth headphones - mostly because the sound is so impacted & cause I've been happy with these.
https://www.beoplay.com/products/beoplayh6
Also, I am a princess.
Stefan, they wanted them back. https://vowe.net/archives/016544.html
For phone calls I had different types `til I found the Voyager EDGE.
I ´ve been completely happy with them.
To music I mainly listen while cycling.
I don´t want to get isolated from the environment while I do that.
I would have liked to use the Plantronics Backbeat and had about five of them.
Sad but true, the always died after a hard workout.
My sweat seemed to be to agressive for them ;-)
So I changed to the Sony SBH 20. The unit mounted on the helmet.
That was my long term friend.
And for "real" music listening I have a Sony MDR 1000 X.
Not the best sound, but good noice cancelation and good battery Performance.
Until Apple released the AirPods.
That changed everything for me.
I thought, that they are expensive toys, but had to learn, they are not.
For me the replaced all the other ones.
Yes, they all may be better in their niche.
The sound quality -for voice calls and for music- of the AirPods may not be the best in class.
But it´s better then some of the competiton.
And the AirPods are always with me, they are just there.
AirPods all the way here too. I even sold my Premium Sennheiser Momentum Over Ear.
Instead, i bought the new Sennheiser HD 660 s for audiophile cable-bound listening with my CHORD Mojo, all else Bluetooth usage goes to where i need the greatest freedom instead of the greatest sound, and this is where the AirPods are best.
Congrats on the Sennheisers!
Out of home I use the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless. Great sound, battery life and they are comfortable to wear over a long period of time.
They have no ANC but this is not a problem (for me), since I'm neither a frequent traveller, nor a fan of too much software getting in the way of sound.
Answering calls works surprisingly well, people on the other end always think I hold the phone.
I just bought the RHA MA750 wireless after long consideration.
https://www.rha-audio.com/de/products/earphones/ma750-wireless
I used the Sennheiser Momentum in-ears for quite while, but the tangling of the cords got worse over time and I never got them to fit really well and I lost quite a few earpeaces since they sit quite loosely.
Since I rarely need to travel I placed musical quality over noise cancellation but wanted a better insulation than on-ears or AirPods deliver and the RHA did not disappoint me. Their sound comes close to the UE-3 pro that still live in a drawer in my desk but get very rarely used because of their very annoying cables.
The RHA are very comfortable to use and In really enjoy listening to them, right now, they are treating me to Tom Waits Franks Wild Years and I really enjoy, how deep they go while delivering clear mids and highs.
Due to my own faults, I needed to contact the RHA customer support regarding my order (accidental double order) but they not only were quicker than me and contacted me actively, they also were very friendly and corrected the issue without any problems. Big tumbs up for their support staff!
Bose QC 35 - outstanding for traveling because of the noise cancellation and Bluetooth but also for loud office environment. I also use them for phone calls mostly wired via a Jabra speaker on my desk, sound quality in and out is great.
Sony SBH 52 - small in ear Bluetooth headphones, great on the go, cycling, walking, they are connected behind the neck (one shorter, one longer wire).
I love Bluetooth, hardly ever use the headphone jack on my phone (still have it though in case).
For music, film etc at home I have for fifteen years used Sennheiser HD480 headphones. They sit on the ears rather than over them so are hugely comfortable, and do not completely isolate from the environment, but sound quality is excellent: they were for some years the standard issue phones in BBC studios. I have also used them for music recording, and don't feel that that process is compromised by their quality either, though they were never very expensive.
I hate sticking anything in my ears when in the 'uncontrolled environment' of the streets, though, and never really took to using any headphones for telephone purposes.
Plantronics BackBeat Pro in the office (ANC) and when I'm travelling.
Philips Fidelio X1 at home for HiFi listening. They are extremely comfortable and come highly recommended by me – their successor Fidelio X2 has the same great sound.
I still have an unopened box of AirPods at home ... should I open it? Volume control via Siri may be a showstopper for me, though. ;-)
Volker, I drive an electric car and I am quite concerned about bikers wearing headsets since chances are high that they will overhear silent cars. How do you mitigate that risk?
I have a dog by my side. She hears you from half a mile away.
Kurt, why do you think bikers must hear you? What are you doing with deaf bikers?
Thomas, deaf bikers are used to pay more attention as they can't hear any car.
Bikers who are not deaf are used to hear cars approaching. So Darwin will have a lot to do until everyone is used to silent electric cars.
Ich bin oft mit kopfhörern gefahren. Und bewege meinen kopf bevor ich die Spur wechsele oder abbiege. Auch beim Joggen wegen Radfahrern, die hinter mir kommen könnten. Ist Gewöhnungssache.
Das ist im Übrigen auf dem Rennrad auch notwendig, wenn man keine Musik hört. Die windgeräusche werden ziemlich schnell ziemlich laut.
Wenn ich auf dem Rad unterwegs bin dann mache ich mich akustisch vor mir laufenden Fussgängern bemerkbar. Aber da scheint es kein gutes Rezept zu geben. Dem einen ist es zu viel, dem anderen zu wenig. Man muss wohl immer abbremsen und sich grundsätzlich Strecken suchen ohne Fussgänger und langsame Radfahrer. Südlich vom Frankfurter Main bis nach Darmstadt klappte das für mich ganz gut.
Regarding (wireless) headphones: Mostly i use my Plantronics Voyager Focus when i'm on the road or in an office with others. Just works, great for calls and conferences, quiet good for music, enough anc for trains. And comfortable.
In ears don't like my ears, at least not the one i tried. They either hurt or pop out.
Sennheisers and audio technica are my favourites. I have a set of sennheiser hd202 cans for 10 years and still find then excellent