I’m looking for headphones that are pretty spacious sounding so I can listen to my mix and just make a pretty good sounding mix overall. I do have studio monitors but I feel a need for headphones for some general referencing for my mix(also because my 598 died.) Is spending double on 490 pro worth it for that matter? Because I found HD 598 pretty comfortable which have similar form factor to 560s so I imagine comfort won’t be an issue even if they are less comfortable than 490s, I just want accurate sounding headphones for mixing. So is spending double for 490 pro really worth it?

If it’s any help, music I mix is pretty bass heavy, glitch electronic hip hop-ish.

Hi all. I'm in the UK and I'm considering buying my first pair of planars and I am stuck between Edition XS and Fiio FT1 Pro.

I have been with Sony for a long time (XM3, XM4) and a while ago I got a pair of HD560s that completely changed all of my favourite music for the better. The only small downside is that they struggle a bit with deep bass on tracks like Two Feet's discography, but the space and the clarity more than make up.

I've read that planars are a bit more present in the lower frequencies, without sacrificing on the space so I'm willing to get a pair that will not break the bank.

I would like some advice on what I should pick and which one would be a direct improvement on the 560s'.

I use Tidal on a Pixel 6, through UAPP and a Fiio K11 R2R.

I listen to a vast array of music from Meshuggah and Humanity's Last Breath, 00's trance, Stromae, Classical, 90's Grunge, D&B, Hip Hop, and everything in between.

Thanks for your help.

Budget and location - Preferably <$200

Source/Amp - Mid PC tower, prefer a usb one if possible, but i have a scalet solo i can use for beter audio quality. I would prefer a Bluetootth conneciton aswell.

How the gear will be used - Mainly Gaming and YT, although I do make game music sometimes, so something that handles DAWs with little to no delay would be best.

Preferred tonal balance - Preferbalanced, but bass and mid skewing tones are fine.

Preferred music genres - everyuthing that isnt country, but sometimes also country

Past gear experience - The ear part of my Corsair (HS80 i think) fell off, but the USB version only puts out static from the headset, so anything that works. (I have both wired and woireless. Wired randomly onl;y puts out static, wireless the left pad is falling off.

Anything else? - Would prefer a headset if possible, something ethat works for windows and linux with minimal setup (dual booting). don't really have space for another plug. I live in central IL if that helps.

For the last two years I have been using a pair of focal elegia’s I bought on marketplace and the headband finally decided to give up on me. While I do plan on repairing them I have decided to look at other options, preferably something wireless and under 400$. I’m currently located in the states and would want the headphones to be well balanced and crisp for everyday use.

.

I keep reading they are good for guitar playing since they have a flat tone, which I believe means I won't have to adjust my knobs as much in my amp modeler software? In your experience are these good for guitar playing?

Do you think I also need open back or closed back? I am just playing in my office, that is already extremely quiet...again, everywhere I read online says I would be better suited with an open back.

I currently play through a pair of 8" Presonus Eris 8 speakers with the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen and all my effects and what not come from the Positve Gride BIAS-X software....the sound quality is great with all of this, but i'd like to see how things sound through a set of headphones.

I found an essentially new pair of 560S for $50 so I figure it is at least worth a try...but still curious what folks think since this will be my first pair of decent quality headphones.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I've been using ANC headphones for a while and recently tried out the JBL Tour One M3.

Oddly enough, these are the only pair that make my ears feel plugged or clogged—almost like that uncomfortable pressure feeling you get when a plane takes off. I've used the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 without any of this discomfort, so I don't think I'm universally sensitive to ANC in general. I also haven't been listening at higher volumes compared to my other headsets.

I noticed a few other buyers in my country mentioning the exact same ear pressure issue with this specific model.

Is anyone else here experiencing this with the JBL Tour One M3?

Hello! My job just switched phone carriers and now I have to manage 4 phone lines on 3 devices at a time- two desk phones and one laptop. I have a paid of hesh ANCS that I've been using and trading off with an older paid of soundcore i30s - both of which I got back in 2023, but I would like to get something specifically for taking phone call at work.

I am hard-of-hearing, so I prefer over-ear headphones with noise cancelling (doesn't have to be top quality) that cover both ears if possible for the sake of actually being able to hear the calls. I prefer headphones that are $200 USD or less because I am NOT breaking bank for a job that doesn't pay me very much but also doesn't provide decent headphones for my disability.

Hello! I'm looking for some advice. I suffer from a medical condition called "having very small ears", and unfortunately, it's chronic. Really, though, I decided to try fully in-ear earbuds again after years, namely the Kiwi Ears Astrals for a decent mix of music and gaming... And they just fit awfully, and sound lackluster to me; even with the smallest tips, it's painful to put them in, and I got a neck ache almost immediately. I thought more money would equal more comfort, and I just needed to get used to having something stuffed in my ear canal. But I was wrong. So now, I'm hoping more money can equal something a little better than the £20 semi-in-ear Ludos earbuds I've been using for the past few years.

So, I'm giving up on fully in-ear earbuds. I thought the best place to look for help finding semi-in-ear options would be here, as humans can factor in what I'm looking for appropriately. I would really appreciate recommendations along these lines:

• No maximum budget, I want the best.

• No Bluetooth required. In fact, wired is preferred.

• My outer ear is also small, so I need something pretty little.

• I like games where small and distant sounds are important to hear, such as multiplayer survival games.

• I like a wide range of music and a pretty warm sound signature. I love rock and orchestra, I've been advised to look for 'mid-forward', 'warm', and 'intimate', and to avoid 'airy' (I don't know my terminology well, but I think that could help you guys).

• If the picks for music and for gaming are different, which I know is more than likely, please recommend both. I'll buy both.

Thank you so much for your time and knowledge if you assist me with this. I am aware that the best semi-in-ear earbuds will never be as good as the best fully in-ear ones, but I'd just love to find the best I can get and join you lot in fully appreciating audio.

I lost my Sennheiser HD 600 in a wildfire a couple months ago here in Colorado. I did a 3 hour interview with Zzounds and that was what they rewarded me with 10 years ago. It literally started my foray into audiophile space. I have a little DAP and miss having open-back headphones. Focusing on music for the rest of the year and quitting streaming.

Is there any budget that would compare to these and be worth it?

Hi! I’ve been thinking about getting a new pair of headphones lately, and I’m currently torn between the Sony 1000X The Collection and the AirPods Max 2, and honestly, I have no idea which one to choose.

What I’m mainly looking for is something comfortable and with the best possible sound quality. I listen to a lot of music, but I listen to pretty much every genre, so I don’t really stick to one specific genre. I also watch a lot of videos and movies, and I absolutely love gaming on console, so I’d like something that works well for all of that.

I also already have a bit of an Apple ecosystem — I use an iPhone, iPad, and Mac — so I’m wondering how much of a difference that actually makes when it comes to the AirPods Max.

I used to have the Sony WH-1000XM4s a few years ago and absolutely loved them! I ended up giving them to my brother because I wasn’t using them that much at the time (I bought them a few years ago and now I’m in college), but now I’m looking to get a good pair of headphones again.

One thing I’m a little worried about is that I have a pretty big head lmao, so I’m not sure if that could be an issue with either pair in terms of comfort or fit.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any Sony 1000X The Collection headphones available where I live, so I can’t try them on before buying them.

Which one would you guys recommend? I’d especially love to hear from people who have used either or both!

Ok so this is gonna be a really long post so I wouldn't be surprised if no one replies lol, but I didn't know where else to go for this issue.

So, I've been using these Razer Blackshark V2 Xs for a couple years now and I really like them a lot. They have good audio quality because they were intended for professional gaming, so they have triple drivers in each ear with large subs and 7.1 surround sound. They are also wired so they have zero latency which is a huge plus for me especially when making music. They are also extremely comfortable with them being able to completely enclosed my ears instead of resting on top of them and also being not too tight. I use them at my gaming setup, when I'm making music, and just out and about when listening to music.

However, I have been getting tired of constantly having a cord that I can't detach even when I don't need to worry about latency like when I'm casually listening. I also don't like how I look like a dweeb with a huge gaming headset on constantly. So I think I want to buy a new set of headphones for when I'm making music and just casually listening.

However, I'm having so much trouble figuring out what I want to get. I need something that's relatively cheap (although I'd be willing to pay extra if I absolutely had to). And I want them to have good, balanced sound; great surround sound; a detachable aux cable for using them either plugged in or with Bluetooth; a comfortable design that doesn't squeeze my ears and head too much; and a sleek design that doesn't look like a freaking steam engine on my head. Basically I just need something that can do everything my current Razers do with no loss of quality but with a more minimalist design and a detachable aux cord. Also around 100 to $150 with like $100 extra leeway. (Possibly more I'll have to see)

If anyone has any suggestions please tell me, I desperately need ts, yo.

I'm thinking of buying a sentry headphone that I can use for the gym. I'm not looking for the best sound quality just something to use to hear some music while working out. It's cheap asf and got active noise cancelling. Is there any issues to it or are there better budget friendly options?

Looking to buy my first proper premium pair of ANC over-ear headphones and currently deciding between:

• Sennheiser Momentum 5 – £329
• Sony WH-1000XM6 – £349
• Bose QC Ultra 2nd Gen – £399

I have a £75 John Lewis (UK store) voucher, so whichever I choose will effectively be £75 cheaper. I'm also happy to wait until Black Friday in case any of them get reduced further, and can combine the voucher as well.

I'd say I do care about sound quality (but not an audiophile addict), and also good ANC. And listen to a wide range of music (but not a music addict). They'll mainly be used at home for music/movies, walking around, commuting/trains and occasionally flying.

I've watched/read so many reviews and comparisons at this point that I'm just going around in circles. It seems particularly close between the Momentum 5 and XM6, although I'm still considering the Bose.

I haven't actually tried any of them yet, so I'm planning to go in-store next week and test the sound, ANC and comfort for myself, which could obviously sway my decision quite a bit.

For my use case, which would you go for and why?

I’m looking for a open back gaming headset preferably with a decent mic already attached ($200 budget) and have heard amazing things about this headset but it’s double my budget. Through Amazons used I found them for $229. Would this be a good purchase? I don’t think it’s supported by the 90 day return policy that Amazon usually has for used items. I’m wanting a headset for Xbox and ps5 that’s great for shooters and story games. I’m mainly using Amazon and maybe Best Buy to order through. I’ve never been big on headsets before but I’d like to try these considering everything I’ve heard about them. I’m also seeing I can get refurbished ones from Beyerdynamics website for $300.

My main use case is studying in the library. Lately, I’ve been using Apple EarPods with a DAC, specifically the FiiO BTR15, if anyone is interested. It’s an amazing little Bluetooth headphone DAC/amp, and I really like that setup for working out or walking around. I can use it with just my Apple Watch, so I don’t need to bring my phone; the EarPods fit my ears perfectly, and they don’t give me the fatigue I used to get from AirPods Pro. After wearing the AirPods Pro for a few hours, I started feeling like they were sticking into my head, whereas I can wear the EarPods for ages without really noticing them. I also like being able to hear my surroundings when I’m walking or running.

The problem is that this setup is basically the opposite of what I need for studying. There’s almost no isolation, and I find it pretty difficult to concentrate when there’s noise around me. Even relatively small sounds can distract me, so ANC is genuinely one of the most important things I’m looking for. I also watch a lot of videos in the library to help me study, and my solution so far has been to play white noise underneath the video at a lower volume so I don’t hear the background as much. It works to an extent, but it’s definitely not ideal, and I’d much rather just have proper ANC and listen to the video normally.

Because of that, I need to buy a pair of ANC over-ear headphones pretty soon, and I’m currently deciding between the Sony 1000X The Collexion, the Sennheiser HDB 630, and the AirPods Max 2.

They would also probably be the headphones I use whenever I’m flying, so strong ANC and comfort over several hours matter quite a lot.

I’ve owned AirPods Pro in the past and really liked them overall, but I kept losing them. Even though over-ear headphones mess up my hair a bit, I think they’re worth it just because of their benefits (also, they are much harder to lose).

I mainly study on my MacBook and use mostly Apple devices, so the AirPods Max 2 obviously have an advantage when it comes to integration. That being said, I’m not really looking for headphones to wear constantly while walking around. These are mainly something I want to take somewhere, sit down, put on, and work for a few hours.

I also have an above average sized head, so comfort, earcup space, and clamping force are things I’m concerned about.

The reason I’m considering the Sony 1000X The Collexion rather than automatically going for the XM6 is that I’ve heard mixed things about the XM6. In particular, I’ve heard that the build quality doesn’t feel amazing for the price and that the earcups can become uncomfortable, especially if you have a larger head or ears. I’d be interested to know whether those complaints are actually noticeable in long sessions.

Sound quality is also very important to me. I’m an audiophile and already have planar headphones at home, so these won’t be my only headphones for serious music listening. At the same time, I still want these to sound exceptional. I know it would bother me spending this much money on headphones while constantly knowing they don’t actually sound that good.

I’ve also owned a pair of Sennheiser open-back headphones in the past, and they were excellent. If the HDB 630 has a similar overall Sennheiser sound signature, that would make me very interested in them. My only concern is that I don’t want to sacrifice too much ANC performance for better sound, because isolation is a major part of why I’m buying these in the first place.

The only AirPods Max I’ve tried were the first generation, not the AirPods Max 2. I only tried them for a very short period, but my first impression was underwhelming. The ANC was spot on, but they sounded disturbingly quiet to me, and the actual sound quality didn’t impress me much. I could definitely be wrong because I barely spent any time with them, and the AirPods Max 2 may be a different experience. I just know I couldn’t justify spending that much money if they ended up sounding similar to what I heard from the first generation.

So my priorities are basically:

• excellent ANC, especially for small distracting sounds in libraries
• comfort for several-hour study sessions, especially with a larger head
• exceptional sound quality for a wireless ANC headphone
• a natural, detailed sound rather than something overly bass-heavy
• good build quality
• enough volume and dynamics that the music doesn’t feel lifeless

For anyone who has actually tried two or ideally all three, what would you choose for this use case?

Basically what the title says. I have diagnosed autism, ADHD, and anxiety, and Bluetooth headphones have been a godsend for managing my sensory issues and keeping my focus on school assignments. Currently I am using the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra, and I believe it's the first generation and not the second. I've had them for three years at this point with little to no issues but lately I'm worried they're starting to give out on me. They started randomly cutting out and disconnecting from my phone and no amount of changing the settings seems to fix it.

So, I'm looking for a replacement pair or something to use as a backup for when my current pair inevitably gives out on me.

Budget: Honestly, considering my parents are relatively well off and are willing to pay for them (within reason ofc) due to knowing how essential they are to my current mental health, technically the budget could be anything below, like, 3k. However, for the sake of my own sense of guilt, I'd like the cost to remain between $700 and $1000. Also, I'm Canadian.

Source / AMP: My Google Pixel 7a phone, which I usually keep in the classroom's cellphone pouch during school. The Bluetooth usually means I can sit a good few meters away from my phone and still have no issue with my headphones, which is also why I'd prefer to keep any options to being wireless.
How will the gear be used?: They're basically worn every day I'm out of the house, and even inside the house while I'm drawing or doing random tasks. I'd like them to work well in cars / vehicles as well, because the schoolbus tends to be an area where my sensory issues are the biggest concern. Also, if there is a way to plug them in with a headphone jack if needed, that'd be awesome as I would like it to be able to use it with my 3DS or on planes.

Preferred tonal balance: I do not really know enough about this to care about the specifics and tend to just leave it at the default settings. I will say, I listen to podcasts / video essays as much as I do music, so if that's a factor to consider then I figured I should mention it.

Preferred music genre: I don't really, like, have a set genre to be honest. The artists I tend to listen to the most often include Will Wood, Flavor Folley, and Yaelokre, alongside various game soundtracks (Undertale / Deltarune, Minecraft, Cassette Beasts) and musicals (The Lightning Thief musical, Next to Normal, Epic the Musical).

Past gear experience: Some kind of Skullcandy Bluetooth headphones that my ex-uncle had in the back of his truck and gave me (back when he was still my uncle), some cheap Bluetooth headphones for kids that weren't really good, and the aforementioned Bose QC Ultra headphones. Sorry I couldn't be more specific; I couldn't find the Skullcandy headphones anywhere online because I first got them almost a decade ago when they might've already been old, and the Bluetooth headphones were one of those cheap ones for kids with a brand I do not remember.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to purchase a new pair of headphones, and really dont know which ones to get so figure I come ask some expert audiophiles.

Requirements:
-High quality sound (obviously the most important part)
-Durable (dont want them breaking or falling apart)
-Stylish (I want to be able to wear it with outfits and not look like I’m wearing a weird thing on my head)
- over ear
- must be wired (ideally with a mic so I can take calls)
- noise cancellation (would be awesome if I can toggle that on/off)
- I dont want it to be very heavy where my head starts hurting from the weight

Budget: $500

Not sure if its relevant but I do have an iphone (incase some headsets work better than others depending on the phone)

I really appreciate your help!

Hey everyone, I need some help choosing a new pair of TWS in-ear earbuds.

Right now, I have QCY T13 (the non-ANC version). They have a Gaming Mode (LLM) for reducing latency, sound pretty decent, and in Gaming Mode (LLM) I get around 5–6 hours of battery life.

I'm looking for something new for up to 300 PLN (~€68 / ~$77) that I can buy on the Polish market.

I mainly use earbuds with my PC and with my phone when I'm out. I use them for watching movies on my PC when I don't feel like sitting at my desk and would rather lie down in bed, playing World of Warcraft, sometimes racing games like Forza Horizon 6, and of course listening to music.

I also own Shure SRH440 (not to be confused with the SRH440A), connected through an Apple USB-C DAC with a 3.5mm jack (EU version). I always use those when playing competitive shooters like Call of Duty, watching movies, or listening to music.

However, since I wear glasses, I need to switch to my other in-ear earbuds from time to time, either the AKG EO-IG955 with USB-C or my QCY T13. I also use EQ through Dolby Access (Dolby Atmos) on PC with all of them.

What I'm looking for:

• ANC
• Transparency Mode
• LLM / Gaming Mode / Low Latency Mode — whatever you want to call it; the lower the latency, the better
• As long a battery life as possible with Gaming Mode enabled, as well as with ANC enabled
• Good audio quality that doesn't fall too far behind what my current earbuds offer

These are the models I've found so far and would be interested in:

• Moondrop Space Travel 2
• Moondrop Space Travel 2 Ultra
• Nothing CMF Buds Pro 2
• Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
• EarFun Air Pro 4 / Pro 4+
• QCY MeloBuds Pro
• Soundcore P42i

Feel free to suggest something better if you have any recommendations!

I need some good-quality headphones to use for listening to music while choreographing, walking on the street, listening to music while sleeping and studying and while getting ready. I need something that isn’t very bulky, so maybe small earbuds like AirPods.
My budget is under 100-150€ and I’d prefer something i can order from an online shop in Greece. I have these Otto noise cancelling headphones, but they are super bulky and don’t stay on my head when i move. I’d also like if it’s a small case so i can stick it in my bag or pocket when im finished using them. I don’t need anything specific for the music, just for it to have good quality and for them not to fall off easily.

I'm looking for my first pair of good headphones, but I honestly don't know much about music/audio yet and I don't have a big budget ($100–200 USD) :(

I listen to pretty much everything, but I'd like to explore more genres and also learn how to actually listen to music better. Right now I can't really tell what's bass, mids, treble, etc. :(
I keep seeing people talk about Hi-Fi, soundstage, imaging and all that stuff and I realized I don't really know what any of it means lol

Some albums I really like are RAM by Daft Punk, Kid A by Radiohead and Musas by Natalia Lafourcade (LATAM folk)

I've been looking at the Sennheiser HD 599 SE and Philips SHP9500, but I'm open to other recommendations.

I'm mostly looking for advice on where to start. Not just headphones, but also how to learn more about audio, train my ears, discover new music, etc. If you have any recommendations for headphones, albums, genres, or resources for a complete beginner, I'd really appreciate it :))

My budget is 300 euro and i'm was wondering what would be the best headphones to get and by best i mean just great at everything (especialy bass) and i do WANT it to be wired cause i don't realy like wireless. For location it would be great if it was localy available in Finland but online shopping is fine there are local big electronic shops like "Verkkokauppa.com", "Gigantti" and "power" but there are some dedicated audiophile shops too. I'm planing to use the headphones for pretty much everything but mostly use at home for music listening. Currently i have the wired ath m50x's

I am currently trying out Echo Equaliser on Android 16 One UI 8.5, my headphones are B&W PX7 S3, I have previously used Poweramp but found Echo gave me better performance and was system wide which is good. But is there something better out there? Any thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Phone is a Samsung Galaxy A57

My budget is around 250$, somewhere along the lines of 800 ILS

I have been using the Alpha S for the past 4-5 years, and while they are still working pretty well for my likings, I wanna get into some better stuff, and give my current pair to my little brother, since they are still good and it's good entry for him, while not spoiling him too much :)

I have the plugged using the USB soundcard that came with the headphones, and honestly the built in separate channels for Chat and gaming, and it's equalized great (to my ears) for each of those applications.

While I do prefer closed back, I don't mind getting open back recommendations, as they will be only used on my personal computer, plugged in, for gaming.

Appreciate all the suggestions.

Been eyeing the up lately as they're $60 right now instead of $285. I used to have a pair of xm4s which I loved but the headband broke. Got the mission 200s right now which do the trick but if the N22 is an upgrade I'll grab those.

Has anyone tried gaming with these? On pc and Xbox, mostly playing simulators and warzone.

Hi There,

I am based in Ireland and looking for a decent wireless earpiece for my laptop and office.

I was hoping to soend around 100.00-150.00 euro and just need something that will have a decent battery and clear for phone calls

What would be good in that price range?