I love the Bose, and they are truly part of my EDC. Always around my neck at work, and in my pocket on weekends. The big benefit is the design of the silicone thingys that snap into your ear -- very secure and comfortable! They don't completely block the ear canal, so, you can still hear what's going on around you. That's my preference -- for general daily use, I don't want isolation, I want situational awareness. (But, I don't ride a subway to work...) They have the Bose sound, which, though I don't prefer for music, is ideal for phone calls and podcasts. They're not the most durable at the device connector end... I'm on my fourth pair in five years. I've started purchasing the 2yr extended warranty (square trade, best buy) and replacing them after a year when one channel or the other craps out. I work at a large high-tech company with lots of folks with mobile phones on conference calls. I've seen the adoption of the Bose skyrocket over the last year or two... they're by far the most common headsets in use. BTW, their noise-cancelling version are the best NC's I've ever used. Magic. Not cheap, but, magic.
I tried a friend's pair of the Bose in-ear NC recently and they were phenomenal. Are there any cheaper NC options that compare? I just can't pull the trigger with a $300 price tag.
I've tried lots of headphones: wired, Bluetooth, over the ear, in the ear, et al. Those with cords always get caught on something, those with the "bar" always get in the way of my hat and/or sunglasses. Then I found these - Kanoa headphone (can't link as usual). There is a pretty nice discount since they're pre-order. I won't have mine for another month or so, but if they deliver close to what they promise I think I'll have found the last set of headphones I need.
Just picked up a pair of Jaybird X2 bluetooth headphones. Got them on sale as I probably wouldn't have paid full retail, but overall I'm quite impressed. For working out I'm definitely sold on bluetooth, sound quality is on par with comparably priced wired headphones from Bose, Sennheiser etc (note that the sound quality is very neutral and accurate, not bass heavy, so if you like a lot of bass these may not be for you), battery life is as advertised, fit comfort and quality are all great. Overall, I wouldn't consider going back to wired headphones unless I wanted a really high-end IEM.
Bose in ear are my go to. They are not cheap, but the best I have found. They fit well and sound good. Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk
I've bought a few pairs recently and the ones I enjoyed most are the Xiaomi Hybrids, paired with some 3 flange tips from amazon (I need the smaller tips) I've got a sound I'm extremely happy with for cheap.
I don't have any idea how they compare, I've never tried Bose. If I use them, I use a pair of Sony NC earbuds. They were just about half the price of the Bose. Around $120-140.
Cheap Ifrogz for me. They sound good, last long, and they're easily replaced. I've had my current pair about 2 years now.
@ Matt Shepard those are the nite ize ties. Sorry just seen you commented on this If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
For wireless I do Jaybird Bluebuds with some different tips I got off Amazon (can't remember name off hand). For wired I used to have Shure and highly recommend. Love my Bose QC15 over the ear so I am sure anything Bose will sound amazing as well.
There are some really nice quality things coming out of Chinese manufacturers lately; insanely cheap for the sound quality and not knockoffs or disposables. Some ones to look for: KZ ATE, KZ ED9, Joyroom e107 if you shop on AliExpress you'd probably pay ~$10 apiece for these. You can find them on Amazon usually for a couple bucks more. If you want HEAVY bass that has decent clarity, you can try the Rock Zircon, usually around $15 I think. I've heard 1st generation Beats and the Zircons are more enjoyable. They are an acquired taste and I don't listen to mine much anymore but they're very fun on occasion. A bit more upscale would be the TTPOD T1 which is about $25 on Amazon. It's a dual dynamic driver. The LZ Z03A is a single driver headphone that's been getting been getting rave reviews from trusted sources on the Head-fi forum, I've not yet heard one though. It's about $30 and on both Amazon and Aliexpress The biggest value earphone is an earbud produced by a small outfit called Venture Electronics. The VE Monk costs $5 and it's easily equal to just about anything $50 and under. It's the only earbud I've ever liked and I've ordered spares. This is only available on Aliexpress. Easy Earphones is an Aliexpress Store I've used several times (it's can be hard to sort out who are the reputable merchants on Ali). They also sell on Amazon. They've got decent prices and reasonable shipping time from China and will usually try to answer questions. I've purchased and used all the earphones I've listed with the one noted exception.
I am a audio Snob......Been a long time member at head-fi since early 2000. This my portable setup. Its a DIYmod (started off as a 80GB Ipod, now its 120GB with the opamp bypassed to run through the lineout) running Rockbox instead of the stock apple firmware. Using a line out dock with 2 caps inside. That goes into a Headamp Pico amp/DAC and then to my Westone 4. The Hippo case is now retired and using a metal case with the amp velcro'ed to the back. Small and fits in the pocket nicely.
another vote for bose headphones. i have the in ear noise cancelling ones and they are, as stated previously, magic. They have a small box towards the end of the cable that powers the noise canceling portion. there is the ability to turn off the NC part to hear whats around as well. but for flights and general office noise nothing i have ever used beats it. they also have a nice little carry case and multiple sizes of the ear pieces to fit different sized ears. the only downside is that they are pricey. also they aren't mean as work out headphones. My wife has a set of bose that are workout specific and i've used them. they sound nice and stay in your ear, but i don't think they are worth the extra "bose" tax over other workout ear buds. hope that helps.
I've been happy with generic bluetooth headphones off Amazon. There's a bunch of different branded ones using the same housing. I'm not too hard on them but not really a stickler for "audio quality" as I use them while running a huge Nilfisk vacuum most of the time. They help deaden some of that sound at least. Been happy with two pair for about $20. Ten hours battery life between the two of them. 50 to 100 ft radius in case the phone needs a charge. And no wires to get caught anywhere on machinery. If they happen to break? I'm not out that much money. Can get pics if necessary; two pair rubberbanded in my work jacket ready to go.
I use a pair of Sony's...not sure the model number, but they are a "bass" model of some sort....about $50 bucks but I'm an audiophile, and they sound great with awesome bass and they are loud. But, for sound quality, I love Bose. I don't have their ear phones but I haven't been able to match the sound quality of my other Bose products.
I am not a fan of Bose personally. All Highs and all lows? Must be Bose...I enjoy a more linear sound signature. Again, personal preference.
