Best Headphones For Audio Books (2024 Updated)

Do not buy these headphones. I would give them four stars for sound quality, but I can’t in good conscience give them more than 1 star for comfort. A pair of earbuds should be heard, not felt [as if they are creating a rift straight to Hell through your ear canal].

Hi! I used to love Sennheiser. I buy their pro microphones, I’ve owned their over-ear studio headphones. I wanted to get a pair of noise cancelling earbuds that came with the Sennheiser sound quality, and they certainly delivered.

They provide noise cancelling, and the sound quality is magnificent given how small they are. But what I can’t stand is wearing them. I do not have small ears, I do not have delicate sensibilities, but I cannot wear these earbuds for more than 30 minutes without them beginning to ache.

After 45 minutes, they begin to hurt – both because of the plastic pressing against my upper ear and the silicone pressing against my inner ear. After an hour, the pain becomes excruciating. The 7 hour battery life is irrelevant, becauseI can’t wear them for more than two hours without being reminded that I wore them for at least a day afterward.

The earbuds come with multiple sizes, but in order for the noise cancelling mechanism to work, you need to wear a size that plugs your ear – a smaller bud causes less pain (though the pain never fully goes away), but eliminates the noise cancelling, which is the only reason you should spend so much on a pair of earbuds.

What I knew I wanted in earbuds was good sound quality and noise cancelling – what I didn’t know I needed was to be unaware that the earbuds are in my ears. These earbuds ensure that, even if they are more comfortable in your ears than they are in mine, that you will know they are there and you will need to adjust or ignore them every few minutes.

The return window with Best Buy is an insane 14 days – within that 14 days, I made an attempt to get used to the buds. I thought if I wore them once a day for an hour or so, my ears would adjust. That maybe I just wasn’t putting them in correctly.

But after moving and adjusting and changing and sitting with them there, for up to 4 hours at a time, I can verify that they will never be comfortable, and that Best Buy makes that return window incredibly small on purpose.

Sennheiser’s return window is 90 days – Amazon’s is around 30 days. When I tried to make a return with Best Buy around 16 days, I was laughed out of the store. I’m not saying don’t ever buy an electronic from Best Buy again, but I am saying that when you make a purchase on incredibly expensive device you intend to use for awhile, be wary of companies who do everything they can to pawn off their garbage on their customers with as little room for adjustment as possible.

I also contacted Sennheiser three times, through different channels, and received no response. I would advise never buying headphones from Sennheiser again – I do feel like I’ve been the guinea pig for a yet unfinished product, and it hurts quite a bit.

Good luck.

I have a collection of earbuds, which I suspect makes me like many of you. This includes multiple Jabra models, Jaybird Vista 2, Bose SoundSport, and assorted other brands. Nothing I own has the clarity of these Sennheisers.

The first is comfortable, although it does lag a bit behind the Jabra Elite 7 Pro,which are the most comfortable for my ear shape and size, The build quality is what you would expect from Sennheiser and at this price point – excellent.

Noise cancelling is not up to the Sony earbuds. In fact, while I can tell a difference with it on or off, if you simply asked me at a random time if ANC was on, I’d have to look at the app to be certain, The app is another so-so piece.

It offers a very basic equalizer, like a rental car, low, mid, high, and that’s it. Sennheiser, if you’re reading this, take a look at the aforementioned Jaybirds. Complete control and whatever frequencies you select and a community that creates sound images that are easy to download.

For some people, I suspect this would make all the difference. The final so-so part is the case. It’s relatively large and covered in fabric. This makes it harder to carry and clean. And that leads to the sound.

Clarity and range are excellent, and you can hear every detail. But, this also means that you’re likely to hear things you never noticed, like sibilance (that metallic “sss” on vocals), and this may drive you nuts.

They also have very bright highs, which can become physically tiring in a long sitting. While the bass is good, the silicone tips do not provide a solid enough seal to really capture the individual notes of a low bass or piano.

This is fixed (and the comfort improved) with a set of Comply foam tips. If you’re looking for that v-shaped sound that pop music is so fond of engineering toward, you’ll be immensely disappointed with these.

But, if you want clean, glorious sound, above all else, you’ll be very happy with these.

Such great earbuds with beautiful design and great sound quality. Most reason I like this earbuds is because no other products like momentum true wireless 2 have metal plate with razor logo on the outside.

It’s very minimal but also feels elegant. The sound quality is great. The overall sound is balanced but leans to dark. I wanna compare it with Bose Quietcomfort earbuds. The bass on Sennheiser one is deep and meaty.

The mids is natural, the highs is good but not as bright as Bose QC earbuds. Bose QC buds enhances sub-bass and highs. In addition Bose has more noticeable sub-bass, it sounds very pleasing but also muddier.

Sennheiser’s sub-bass is good too and it sounds very clean but not as noticeable as Bose’s which doesn’t mean Sennheiser has less good bass notes. I think the reason behind it is both earphone engineers tone the sound differently.

In my opinion Sennheiser tried to make the sound more balanced and accurate but still to please most consumers. Overall Bose has a modified sound signature which is very pleasing to me and Sennheiser has a more accurate sound signature.

If let me make a choice to pick one of them I would pick up Bose because Bose has way better app experience than Sennheiser. Noise cancellation is superb on Bose plus it has wireless charging. Sennheiser has Ok noise cancellation which doesn’t have much difference from when that feature is turned off.

I wish Sennheiser has aluminum charging case than its fabric because the fabric is easily to get dirty and I don’t understand why Sennheiser omits the wireless charging feature which most high-end earbuds have.

I’ve had good sound experience with other CCrane earbuds, so when I needed a headset for my phone, I picked up a set of these. Sound quality from the earbuds is the expected CCrane quality, voices are clear and sharp, and the microphone’s quality is also great.

I tested the headset by recording voice memos before using it in phone calls. In testing music files, the sound is good (I don’t need aggressive bass speakers tuned for music tend to put out), but I encountered something with the control buttons that’s likely an Android OS peculiarity.

While working with the control buttons to advance tracks, several times I’d get a “file format not supported” message on my phone. The files play fine, so I suspect that’s something related to the inconsistency of the Android OS from version to version, and device to device.

Received 3 earbud sets for price of two with 6 replacement earpieces each. First thing I noticed was how comfortable they fit and found sound quality to so much better than I was used to with others.

Also antenna function improved (I use indoor walking track with steel structure and one weak channel I like has poor reception there but much better with CCBUDS PRO). I use with my CC pocket radio (I have 3- one in each car so I won’t get to walking track without one) and the sound quality improvement was very noticeable (even for music with me).

Cost about same as what I was paying for cheap replacements at Walmart.

I totally love these earbuds! They come with 6 pairs of of extra covers so fit is sure not an issue. The sound quality is perfect for me. I listen to shortwave but also music and both come through great.

The bass is plenty for me without booming and voice is very good while listening to AM and shortwave. The longer 4′ cord is a plus too. The controls all work as they should on all my devices and they are so comfortable, I forget I’m wearing them half the time.

So, what more could I ask for?!.

These are by far the best headphones I’ve ever owned. The build and material quality is very high end, look sleek and the performance is great. Decent carry case as well. Standout feature for me is how great the Bluetooth works.

They power on and connect to my phone instantly, no messing around. They also perform incredibly well on my laptop for video calls. I’ve tried 3 different pairs of over ear Bluetooth headphones with this laptop and all failed to perform on video/voice calls, dropping and lagging audio.

After researching it seem this was due to the sub-par version of Bluetooth on my laptop. However these headphones somehow managed to make it work. Noise cancellation is fantastic. Using these in the noisy office environment has been great, I could hear clearly although a bit quiet.

The people on the other end of the line could hear me clearly with no background noise. Clearly the multiple microphones do an amazing job. Comfy to wear but like most over ear headphones they make my ears too warm after extended time wearing them.

They would probably benefit from having slightly deeper ear pads and a softer material on the headband. I’ve got B&O stereo speakers, in ear headphones, a couple of Bluetooth speaker. The HX headphones keep up the high standards you’d expect from this company.

Overall – fantastic.

Great set of headphones! The B&O app allows you to easily tweak your sound preferences and create different profiles which is amazing for different listening environments and moments. The noise cancellation I wasn’t a major fan of to be be completely honest.

I feel Sony/Bose do a slightly better job, but the active noise cancelation isn’t all that bad. The price is a little bit much, BUT upon opening the product you can see where the money goes. You get a VERY comfy set of headphones that are easy to adjust, and fantastic build quality.

No cheap pieces of plastic that feel like a children’s toy (an issue that is all to common with certain headphone brands). The headphones have 3. 5 in which is amazing, and yes it comes with the cable; but it also sports USB C charging.

Which is a great addition for headphones at this price. TLDR: if you don’t mind the price tag, you will be more than happy with these headphones. Comfy fit, AMAZING sound EQ that can tailor to anyones needs, and an amazing listening/user experience like no other.

I strongly recommend these if you truly love music. Also, the battery life on these is nothing short of perfect.

I’ve had these for over a year now, and liked them so much I bought a second pair for others to use on our live streaming team. The noise isolation is great for both the wearer and those around them.

When streaming an event it’s great to be able to hear just the stream (which is fractionally delayed from the live event), and also to be able to monitor the final broadcast of delayed stream without others in the vicinity hearing delayed audio bleed.

The long cord is also super convenient in an operational setting. They’re also much more comfortable to wear than others I’ve used previously. The issues that others raise about inability to fold them haven’t been a problem, and rattling around in my gear bag for 1 months hasn’t caused any problems for the headphones themselves.

Great price point for what you get for it. Highly recommended.

I’ve been hot and cold on Sennheisers, I have a pair of their older wireless RF home theater headphones that are not really that comfy (too wide), and too light on the bass, by far, but I don’t really use them anymore.

In any case, I already had end-game headphones, including my wonderful Hifiman open planar HE400Is, but I wanted something closed-back for portable usage, and these fit the bill. They really, really sound good, even right out of the box they sounded pleasing, comfort is great, lightweight build, closed-back, don’t leak sound much, and the overall sound signature is bass solid, mids good, highs really, really good, and shimmering and clear.

It may be true that the Sennheiser open-backs sound superior overall, but these are some of their better closed-back cans, by far. They sound warm, clear, punchy, and not too closed or claustrophobic.

The bass is tight and punchy, but never overbearing. The highs are not strident, clear as a bell, but will not cause headaches! And the price is a steal. If you need lightweight, portable closed-back cans, these are some of the best you can choose right now.

I also own the new Pioneer X7 DJs, and those are excellent too, although perhaps more for rock, dance music, reggae, techno, pop, etc. , and the Sennheisers can handle anything with finesse, and they are selling for a lot less money right now.

Don’t even hesitate, if you need good light closed cans, for walking, portable, or even home pleasure music listening, the 569s are an excellent choice. My only complaint is I only got one really long cable with my pair, but you can easily pick up some shorter ones.

I’m running mine at home on the Creative Labs G6 amp card, and on the go with a Fiio A5 amp, and both are bringing the best out of these phenomenal light closed-backs. Buy them now! I really think Sennheiser hit a home run with these particular headphones.

And that’s from an old time audio nut that is very picky about what he uses and likes.

As a sound engineer and musician these headphones have many different applications, and they perform them all brilliantly! Having tested them connected to instruments sounds extremely accurate and I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality when plugged into an electric amp with overdrive and onboard effects; it could be pushed quite hard and still very good quality.

They perform exceptionally into the Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller as well, with latency proving to be minimal. A must-have if you’re accustomed to a balanced EQ; they’re built for Studio Reference so don’t expect the huge bass boost of regular headphones! A great buy and supreme service from PC Case Gear as well.

Many thanks to the team!.

1. Sound quality: it is balenced and neutral. Its bass is punchy but not muddy. Sound stage is very wide. Sound is comparable to airpods pros. Sound is very detailed you will hear things you never heard before and you can locate the source of the sounds.

Not for you is you want muddy headphones with so much bass the other frequencies are inaudible (if you like bass so much then listen to music that has more bass instead of buying muddy headphones). 2.

Build quality: very good quality plastic but it breaks in places where plastic is thin and/or has a lot of pressure. You can easily fix the broken plastic with feviquick but feviquick doesn’t last forever.

If it ever gets loose then it most probably because of broken plastic. For me it broke in 2 places (1) from the inside (the rotation part) but it is very easy to open it and stick it with feviquick and (2) it broke from the bottom part of the size adjusting thing and you don’t need to open it to fix that part.

The quality of the cushion is great. The quality of the aux cable is good. The one with the mic broke in a few months and now i am using the 6. 35mm one and it’s quality is better than the one with the mic (both sound quality and build quality (but the difference in sound quality is mostly unnoticable especially if you use it on a phone or laptop)).

3. My opinion: buy it right now even of you are not an audiophile even if you are a ‘basshead’ you might not like the neutral sound at first if you are a ‘basshead’ but it will make you pick the music you like because it sounds like what the artist intended.

I have been using oneodio pro 10 for around 10 months.

I bought these phones based on a rave review I watched on you tube. Given their low cost, I figured if they weren’t as good as reported, then it was no great loss and I would still have a pair of reasonable knock around phones.

The clarity and depth of sound in these head phones is extraordinary and way above what they cost!!! They’re everything the UT reviewer said they were!. Construction seems very solid and finish is excellent.

My only complaint is the same as a couple of other reviewers I read- they are a little tight across the ears and they do not cover over the ears fully but rather sit on top so if you have large ears or they stick straight out, then they may not feel good.

I Know I have a big head- the hat I bought 3 days ago at the Sydney Royal Easter show is an XL. I did find by stretching the top band a few times, to its maximum flexibility, that the tension in the band eased enough to make them fairly comfortable and for anyone with an average gap between their ears- they should be fine.

It’s been a while since I have just sat back and truly listened to the music and all its detail– just for the sheer pleasure of it!!.

The headphones are good. The customer service is not. I received what I ordered which included a boom mic to be connected to and used with headphones. However, the cord on the boom mic does not fit into the port on the headphones.

It is too small. Only one cord in the box fits and it is an extension cord with no volume or mute controls on it. I have emailed back and forth with their CS, and all I get are replies for more information, which I had already provide in the previous emails.

I was then asked for a video of the problem and even with that, I received a reply asking for more information. Extremely frustrating since they only have a foreign number to call. All I want is a boom mic that fits into my headphones as the picture on the box shows.

Apparently, they can’t handle that.

I purchased an Open Box Demo HIFIMAN HE1000se from Audio46 and could not tell the difference from new other than the box was not sealed. Thank you Audio46 – just as described – like new! I am fairly new to Audiophile headphones but not Hi End Audio Systems.

I have owned and enjoyed many Audio Amp and Speaker Systems over the years my favorite being Magnepan speakers with Ribbon treaters and Martin Logan Electrostatic for their open dynamic sound. The HE1000se headphone reminds me of this type sound bringing it to another level.

The open soundstage image, detail, accuracy and ability to not only pick out individual instruments but hear details in the plucking of individual strings and nuances in singers voices. I am hearing subtle sounds in music I am familiar with I have never heard before.

All of this and I can take it with me – I am using a Chord Mojo 2 to drive these headphones and on top of an amazing experience they are so efficient they are being driven by a high quality DAC/AMP I can take with me and carry in my pocket.

I only wish HIFIMAN upgraded their cables which sound good but are hard to manage and get twisted. That being said they do give you 3 different type cables which works well with different type amps however the headphones sound even better with upgraded silver cables.

I should also mention these headphones are built well, very light and comfortable to wear for hours. I have had several other headphones before the HE1000se but these are the best!.

Sundara is my fourth pair of headphones and the first open ended one. I have the Audio Technica M50X, Sony 1000xm3 and Airpods Pro. Each of them serve a different purpose and I use all of them regularly.

After three days of intense use of the Sundara, it’s not difficult for me to conclude that it stands head and shoulders above the rest. Open ended cans provide the comfort of long hours of listening, which is not possible in the closed ended ones.

Secondly, it’s soundstage, imaging and resolution is unmatched. I am delighted to have chosen Sundara on all counts. It’s incredible frequency respons and flat tuning provides me with the music as was intended.

It’s so crystal clear at its max volume. I am using this with my Fiio BT5 DAC and A3 amplifier ( both together) and it sure does provide music to my ears! At 27k the Sundara stands at an incredible price point, unmatched by competition.

On top of it, it’s a planer headphone. What more can one ask for? When it comes to FLAC, you need to go in for wired headphones. The incredible detailing which FLAC provides can only be realised a pair of wired headphones.

Further, now that I have experienced an open ended headphone, I can say with confidence that open ended cans provide true audio fidelity without the fatigue. Sundara ticks all the boxes and boy, I am glad that I made the right choice.

I had carried out extensive research before hitting upon Sundara and it has proved to be the right choice!.

I bought these Koss headphones a few months ago for about $20, so I’ve had some time to get to know them. I mainly use them around the house to listen to youtube videos and music. First things first, the sound quality is not great.

For $20, I did not expect too much, but even so was disappointed. Everything from podcasts and youtube videos to music sounds muddy and unclear. It does a decent job of delivering bass response, most likely due to the larger drivers, so props there.

They do a great job of cancelling out background noise, and are surprisingly light for being so large. I also noticed after a while that the audio on the earmuffs is reversed! Sounds that should play from the left, play from the right instead, and vice-versa.

And the muffs on these are huge! They easily fit over my ears with room to spare, and are pretty comfortable with thick padding. The headband is also very pliable, which makes it comfortable even without any padding there.

The adjustment on the muffs is quite annoying though, being spring-loaded. I’d get them where i wanted them, and as i spread them open to put them on, the muffs would automatically slide back to the default position.

I suppose this is intended to help them stay on your head, but i personally did not like the feature. The headband tension is slightly strong, but i did not find it uncomfortable even after extended periods of listening.

The cable on these is just ridiculously long at about 1 meter (3ft). I found that moving around it would catch on everything i walked by, so i ended up coiling the cable up a bit, but in doing so it created an awkward weight.

Another thing is that, out of the box, the jack on these headphones looks to be good quality, but isn’t. Spinning/moving the jack at all would occasionally cause the sound to cut out or create static, and i found it did not stay properly seated most of the time.

I tested this on various devices to the same results, but this could be a manufacturing issue with my pair. So how have they held up? I would say, pretty well. The coating on the earmuffs is starting to flake away, which i think should have held out for a bit longer.

But otherwise they have held up well. I have replaced the cable with another, shorter one, and no longer have the issue with sound cutting out. It did not, however, have any impact on sound quality so that appears to be due to the drivers themselves.

The bottom line: They are cheap, but are also cheaply-made. There are much better options out there for the same price. I would not recommend, nor would i buy them again.

These are good little headphones. Cheap. but good. I bought them for a guy down on his luck living in a derelict RV without electricity, water, etc. ,. I found him a crank-up radio but it would only run a little of six minutes on 120 cranks.

I figured with headphones the time would get extended. it did, over 20 minutes worth of listening on the same number of cranks. The radio also runs on AA batteries but he might not always be able to buy batteries and the headphones will help them last longer, too.

The headphones sound good, they’re lightweight, and they fit completely over my ears which are average sized ears. basically they’re circumaural headphones. It comes with a 3. 5MM plug but has an adapter to use if you have a 1/4″”(?) receptacle.

If you’re looking for a good, cheap set of headphones this one should fit the bill. I’m not sure about it’s longevity. time will tell. 🙂 I’m working on helping the guy out some with maybe some solar power and maybe a small propane heater.

But, for now these headphones are providing him with some entertainment and connection to “”the world””. :).

I ordered the Koss headphones from Walmart online and they arrived within 3 days safely by FedEx. Ordered the Koss UR20 headphones because of the full over ear muffs and long 8ft cord. I use headphones for TV and music listening but also need something that helps block noise.

I also have some Samson, Behringer, and JVC headphones. My JVC harx700 phones have 50mm magnets and better range so they’re better at reproducing sound and covering noise. I paid about $40 for them. For $20, the Koss UR20 phones fit comfortably, have reasonably good sound, and I feel they’re good value for the price.

The adapter it came with is useful because I have old boomboxes that use the larger size plug. The Koss connectors are gold plate instead of nickel which is a plus. I was unable to find out what size magnets the UR20 have.

On the subject of external noise reduction, even my JVC harx700 cans can’t block all noise even at high volume. Talk radio or TV conversation will still let background noise through. Loud music is the only way I’ve found to block background noise but even then the big cans can’t isolate.

Depending on the type of music and the volume, and the source or type of background noise, noise still comes through on my headphones. Don’t expect loud nearby sounds to be blocked. Noises from outside the room or outside the building may be blocked.

Been using various models of the AD series for years and they have never let me down. I mainly enjoy them with gaming, they are enjoyably haunting to say the least. Walking around in Fallout 4 was unnerving with these headphones.

And playing classical and live music is a dream. The only thing I will forever dislike about these headphones are their band design. They are too loose on my giant head, and tend to slide down without doing the elastic band hack on them.

The also leave weird impressions on my head, even if I only wear them for a couple of minutes. One of those cheapo headband cozies is a quick and simple (albeit, ugly) solution for this. Other than that, these headphones always sound amazing out of the box.

Def the least troublesome headphones Ive ever used (i. e. no need to hack or mod for good sound).

Build: typical plastic design for this price Comfort: amazing; you could forget you even had them on. Nitpick: wing headband does cause the hp to slide downwards after some time. Sound: smooth & warm.

Not in a sense of boosted bass but in a sense of relaxed treble. Resolution isn’t great, but it’s what I expected from this price. It tends to smooth over the notes quite a bit, giving off a more laid back presentation.

+ bass roll-off typical of most dynamic open-backs.

I already have a pair of traditional wired ATH-M50X but decided to treat myself to the bluetooth version. They are basically the same headphone I already have, but without a cord. They do come with a cord, but it is quite short and isn’t coiled.

They come with a USB charging cord that is VERY short at about 14 inches. I find this a little too short, but it gets the job done. The instructions were a little TOO simple and consisted of just images and very little text.

It was enough to get me started, but there was no information for any sort of troubleshooting. As this is my first bluetooth device, a little more information would have been helpful. The problem I had was once I connected with the transmitter that connects to my ‘legacy’ equipment, that was the sole device the headphone wanted to connect to.

It took a little fiddling around to figure out how to get the headphone to connect to my laptop and cell phone. It would have been nice to have troubleshooting instructions. All that being said, the headphones sound as great as the wired version.

I haven’t had any problems with interference or a dropped signal. My house isn’t very big so I can’t really get out of range without going outside which I haven’t tried yet to see how far the signal reaches.

Great Headphones!!.

The headphones sound great, and the build quality is top notch. They’re comfortable to wear for extended periods, even for my large head. The Bluetooth connection is strong. It takes several walls between them and the source, to disrupt the connection.

I primarily use them with my TV, playing Netflix and xbox. I haven’t noticed any lag between the audio and video. I’ve only been using them for a couple of days, but so far, the battery life is excellent.

My only complaints are – that during calls, I can hear myself and ambient noises through the speakers. The calls are fine it’s just a minor annoyance. – And the lack of active noise cancelling is disappointing.

Other head phones in this price range (and cheaper) have ANC. It’s a strange omission. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but maybe for some.

I use these for my digital piano and some music listening and sounds amazing for the piano. I’m not an audiophile so can’t comment too much on sound quality. Sounds great from what I can tell if you use LDAC as the Bluetooth codec, configurable from their app.

But it does have weak bass, compared to say Sony WH-1000 xm4 headsets or WF-1000xm3 earphones. If you’re more into vocals and treble, these may be better but Sony definitely has better bass. Comfort wise, it’s pretty good, but I have a big head so most headsets are uncomfortable after a few hours anyways.

A friend recommended these headphones a couple years ago. They are moderately priced, and produce good audio, but I really hope I can find a way to make them more comfortable. I’ve basically had to use them as the backup headset, because after 30 minutes of use I have severe headaches, and faintness wearing them.

It’s the same problem I have with wigs that are too small. I hope I eventually find a comforter that helps make them not hurt my head, as of today I’ve tried one of the zip up comforters, and the top portion of the headphone is too big for the zipper, so I will be rating these headphones lower than I would have for sound alone.

Another note: The audio for these headphones may not be ideal for edm/songs with heavy bass, these are definitely better for mid/low bass songs. It really depends on what you are looking for. 4. 5/5 for audio 2.

5/5 for comfort.

BEWARE: The QC45’s are so comfortable you may forget your wearing them! These are great for commuting on public transport in noisy and busy journeys and did I mention how comfortable they are? I like the smoothness of the area beneath the headband and ‘At last’ we have a usb-c charge port.

I’m also glad Bose have kept with the physical buttons. The microphones are noticeably better compared to the qc35’s. but I have been told on a couple of occasions my voice sounds shallow and hollow.

However, blocking out the background noise and isolating your voice works really well. Also, the quick charge feature is fantastic to keep you going until you are able to charge fully later! Noise cancellation sounds natural and works well with background voices but the 700’s filter out ambient noises better and are more enjoyable for better sound clarity and bass dynamics for audiophiles.

So, I much prefer the 700’s for clearer and more natural sounding music in a wider sound stage. I was able to test the qc45’s before mine arrived as two friends had purchased these and both of them have sent them back for how flat they sounded.

I genuinely hated these headphones before the EQ feature. That was before the EQ was added and I believe if the music app initially had the EQ feature, they may have kept the headphones as out of the box, the sound just doesn’t do the artist justice for the sound they intended to create.

I also, wish we had the option to completely switch noise cancellation off as some music sounds better without the noise cancellation. The only two options we have are to either have noise cancellation 100% on or ambient sound 100% on with no variation of this and both modes can take away from the music clarity.

Ambient mode can be adjusted in the 700’s and are much better at rejecting wind noise. Another feature of the 700’s that have not been included in the in the qc45’s is the conversation mode. Why has this great feature to speech clarity not been included? The sound quality is good enough with wired only but I wish you can use the headphones whilst charging.

The qc45’s is a noticeable upgrade from the qc35’s but I’m not sure if it’s worth paying the current price difference between the two. I’m also presuming the 700’s is due for an upgrade soon and may be worth waiting for if you prefer headphones for music rather than just comfort.

The qc45’s lack excitement in sound but has less clamping force to 700’s and the 45’s seem to have more cabin pressure compared to 700’s but less compared to the qc35’s. Feels like Bose are holding back on the qc45’s compared to the 700’s.

I would have appreciated a pause feature when you remove the headphones from your ears and play feature when re-worn like a certain competitor has. Also, the plastic feels less quality and less well made and the case doesn’t look and feel as premium.

The qc45’s band adjustment feels so much cleaner than the competition but the leatherette on qc35’s earcups feels so much nicer than qc45’s and earcups on the qc45’s just feels cheap. My Pros: • Most comfortable • Active noise cancellation is great • Can use ANC in wired mode • Better battery life • Can connect to two devices at the same time • USB-C charging My Cons: • Sound signature isn’t accurate for true audiophiles • Unable to turn off ANC without switching to aware mode • Feels cheap • No support for audio over USB-C • No on-ear detection sensor • Sound profile without the newly added EQ in the music app is terrible.

So I’ve had the Bose QC45’s for a little over a month now and they’re a pretty good set of headphones – got them on sale for $279 at Walmart. They look very nice and feel like they’ll last awhile on the durability end.

They’re very comfortable and lightweight (about on par with a Sony WH-1000XM3 for reference) and the noise cancellation is FANTASTIC (at least on par with Sony, perhaps even slightly better). I have a clicky mechanical keyboard and can barely hear anything when I type with the QC45 on.

Where this headset lacks is in the sound department. Bass is fine imo (though this take could vary from person to person), the overall sound quality isn’t great without an equalizer. The sound can be a bit grating/screechy with higher pitched instrumentals and vocals.

And, on top of that, the Bose Music app doesn’t even offer an equalizer to change the sound profile of the QC45. So, unless you’re subscribed to a music service with an equalizer (like Spotify Premium), you’re out of luck if you want to change the sound of these headphones – which you may need to do to enjoy listening to music that isn’t grating/screechy.

As if you should buy the QC45’s, if you’re subscribed to a music service with an equalizer, I could definitely recommend buying them at the price I paid ($279). If your preferred music service doesn’t have an equalizer, sadly I can’t recommend these in their current state unless Bose releases an equalizer on their app or changes the overall sound profile of the QC45’s with a future software update.

Wouldn’t recommend buying at the full $329 right now. TL;DR Comfort: One of the most comfortable headphones I own, on par with my Sony headphones. Noise Cancellation: At least on par with Bose’s competitors like Sony, maybe slightly better.

Sound: Decent, to get the best sound use an equalizer from a music subscription service (like Spotify Premium) or hold off on buying until Bose releases an update that either puts an equalizer in their Bose Music app or changes the sound profile of the QC45 to remove the grating/screechy high pitch sounds.

Price: A bit overpriced at $329 MSRP in their current state, the $279 sale price is fair for these headphones as they are right now, if you have access to an equalizer. Thanks for reading!.

After having used these for a few weeks, I’m certainly happy that I made the right purchase and I’m pretty impressed with the sound quality. The noise cancelling is solid, creating an incredibly silent environment within the phones, but it’s worth pointing out that “noise cancelling” does not mean the hardware blocks out ALL outside ambient noise.

Switching from phone calls to online meetings to listening to music can flip the audio experience around quite a bit, with variable white noise levels creeping in during video calls. Noise cancelling is not going to help a lot when the white noise from the actual meeting is being piped down the internet.

The microphone seems clear and loud for listeners at the other end and is quite effective despite being built into the headset instead of being on an antenna in front of your face. The headset is very comfortable but I found pressure from the headband a little too much if I wore it for a full day.

They collapse down nicely and extend to different sizes well. The headset comes with a canvas zip bag, but I found this less than ideal: it offers little protection to the headset while the stiffness of the material putting up a fair bit of resistance to get the headset in and out of the bag.

So all told, worth the money. Good quality gear. Disappointing accessories.

Through the course of a years worth of ownership these headphones have definitely been one of the most problematic devices I have ever owned. I’m not sure if its just the ones I received or not but over the past year these headphones have continuously found new ways to fall apart.

In terms of its structure its well made and still adjusts perfectly fine however the cups are just so bad. During the first month of usage they’d constantly just fall off; leading to embarrassing moments on the train while I’m sat there trying to reassemble my headphones.

To solve this I tried to glue the cups to the base of the headphones however the headphones would not give up, they were adamant on showing me up and would not let the glue hold them together. So the last few months they’ve just straight up decided to rip open and expose the inner foam.

Unbelievable and it’s not like I was abusing these headphones or anything as they were mostly handled carefully and used indoors. In terms of its pros, I guess it’s cheap and produces average sound out of the box, looks pretty despite the large size and has decent battery life.

If the cups simply stayed put this would be a great buy and I’d recommend it.

I have long held a deep and abiding love for this brand. Since my very first pair of Sennheiser headphones, Sennheiser has been my goto brand. When purchasing noise cancelling headphones for the first time, such was my brand loyalty that I basically only researched Sennheisers, ignoring the issues with the finicky controls that others have rightly pointed out.

I’ll give them this: the sound quality was terrific. However, the noise cancellation kept dropping out of its own accord, so I returned them to the manufacturer for repair or replacement under warranty.

Several months later, nothing. Australia Post tracking confirms that they reached their destination, but the headphones have not been repaired and returned to me, and Sennheiser flat out refuses to answer my follow up emails.

The Sennheiser website makes alternative contact or complaint escalation impossible. One can only contact the very service department which refuses to reply. So, after decades of loving this brand and their products, I now have such profound disappointment that I would never consider buying anything more from them.

The IE 600 is almost there. You might not make it to the top of the proverbial audiophile mountain with it, but you’ll be so close with a moderately priced IEM that you might not care. Comfort is top notch, sonics are 90% there if you dig a U shape, and the build is phenomenal.

My only complaint is the cable. Microphonics are excessive, so walking with the stock cable is a no. Otherwise, buy with confidence.

I bought the ie600s a few weeks ago. Initially, I was a bit underwhelmed. However, after a couple of days they seemed to settle in and with good fitting warriors and listening to them more I was totally taken by them.

For detail and enjoyment these are amazing. They’re great with all genres and really shine with complex pieces of music, especially classical. They’re also very well built (made in Ireland).

I don’t know how sennheiser has done it, but it has managed to make the most comfortable IEM I’ve tried and they’ve managed to squeeze out some of the best sound I’ve heard from a pair of tiny 7mm dynamic drivers (tiny compared to its peers), it’s german engineering sorcery, this maybe the IEM endgame for most, does need a good dac to pair with for the best sound thou.

this is easily better sounding than the HD 650 headphones. No ear fatigue either yet. If this is this good, I can only imagine how the IE 900 will sound like.

(Warning, long and detailed review) After spending some time with these headphones, I can provide a detailed description of my experiences. I’m big into audio and music (an audiophile if you will), so you can trust this review.

All numbers are based on $20 price point. Bass: 8/10 Treble: 9/10 Mids: 9/10 Comfort: 10/10 Cord (Tangle free): 8/10 Noise Cancelling: 6/10 Durability: 4/10 (Be gentle and they’ll be fine) Volume: 8.

5 / 10 (They’re plenty loud, even for me) Listening experience by music genre: Classic Rock: 8. 5/10 Rap or Trap: 9/10 Pop: 10/10 Country: 9/10 Rock: 9. 5/10 Easy Listening:8/10 Electro or EDM: 8/10 Folk: 9/10 Symphonic: 8/10 Gaming: 10/10 Comments: >These might as well be marketed as gaming headphones.

They really surprised me with their stereo functionality, I could clearly hear left, right, front, back, center, back left, back right, front left, front right. >They are hands-down the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn, however they are a bit on the big side.

>The durability could be better, but if you’re gentle with them, they’ll last a long time. Not complaining for $20. >I currently use them as a gaming headset due to their stereo capabilities, and comfort over long periods of time.

>I haven’t had any problems with them, and I’ve been using them almost daily for about a year. >Best headphones on the market under $20. You can stop your search here.

Ok so I went ahead and compared both the Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphone & Hi-Fi Light Weight Over-the-Ear Headphone. Product 8323 VS 8324 -Hi-Fi Light Weight Over-the-Ear Headphone Product 8324 I purchased these first and listened to them for a week and was so impressed with them … they were bass heavy and offered up a great eargasm especially knowing they cost a fraction of the price of other big name offerings.

After a week I decided to find out how they stacked up to the very highly reviewed -Premium Hi-Fi DJ Style Over-the-Ear Pro Headphone Product 8323 Having listened to both id like to offer my thoughts.

As great as the 8324 are with the extra bass, it seemed to me the 8323’s are just better balanced. The mids highs and bass are matched perfectly creating a very pleasurable sound stage for my style of music (edm, hip hop) So if you prefer more bass then the 8324’s fit the bill but if a more even sound stage is desired then the 8323’s are a better fit.

AGAIN, Monoprice has done a great job and kudos to them as both of these headsets are awesome and well worth the money. PROS: great design over the 8323’s extra bass over the 8323’s bigger can size making it more comfortable over the ears for longer periods of time (medium size ears) CONS: wire is not detachable.

After spending a few years buying high quality in-ear headphones and then accidentally damaging them (in-wash, caught on something, puppy ate them, etc. ), I moved to using these. They have a great sound (more like $50-$60 price range for sound quality), and also they are inexpensive.

So basically I now treat them as semi-disposable. I buy three or four pairs, leave them around the house, and they are always available when I need them. If I accidentally destroy a pair, it’s no big deal.

I’d like to respond to complaints about durability. I’ve probably had about 10 pairs of these over the last 7 years or so, and I’ve never had one fail due to normal use. I’ve killed two putting them through the wash and dryer (though they survive about 50% of the time without apparent impact).

Our new dog ate two pairs. One or two others I’ve caught on something and ripped them out very hard which damaged the wires. I would suggest that for people who say the broke easily, I would suggest either: 1) They were unlucky 2) They were unduly rough with them (pulling them hard, wrapping around things to often/tightly, etc.

) 3) Their expectations of the abuse that low-cost light-weight wire headphones too high Basically, if you’re looking for good quality cheap sound, and your willing to be considerate of the fact that in-ear headphones have delicate wires inside, these are a good choice.

These can be fine, depending on what your purpose is for them. I got these as a backup to a pair of expensive wireless earbuds I had but was always forgetting to charge. They actually replaced the wireless ones though because they’re just more convenient, always ready to go, without needing charged or updated.

I use them to listen to podcasts, i. e. people talking, not music. For that, they sound fine. I probably wouldn’t use them for music. I use them while out walking for exercise, one in my ear and the other tucked in my shirt so I can hear my surroundings.

The cord is long enough to connect to my phone in my pocket. The cord material doesn’t cause excessive, annoying rubbing noise. I’m in Florida and it gets pretty hot and humid here, but they seem to tolerate sweat and humidity pretty well.

The fit is comfortable and doesn’t get hot. My only wish is that they have some controls on the cord for pausing, rewinding, or volume. But what do you expect for under $20? These have lasted me about two years and only now I’m getting some static on the connection and quieter sound.

I’d recommend them.

Sony can always be trusted for little cheapo headphones. I have had pairs like this for years at a time and really only replace them when I lose them. Of course, once I buy a new set, I usually find the old ones.

These babies work well if you want to plug them into your ps4 controller to game with friends, and they work well to block out noise and listen to music while running heavy equipment. You can hear over the noise of a tractor’s PTO running a 10 in diameter auger carrying corn or soybeans up into a grain silo (bin).

If you haven’t experienced that, I will just tell you it’s a lot of decibels. I will always pick these over clunky, over ear headsets that never fit right and just make your ears sweat. You can speak and hear clearly (usually even over a tractor) when you pair it with your phone.

I am still old school enough that I don’t want to lose one earbud or not be able to listen to music because I ran out of battery. I think it’s stupid to limit yourself to 8 hrs of use just so you don’t have to deal with a harmless cord.

To each their own. These babies last for years. I have them in blue and white and like to have a spare set in my purse or backpack at all times.

I had a pair of Bose wireless headphones for several years that I used for work and travel. I LOVED them and replaces the earcups when they started falling apart. I noticed a few months ago they were having issues staying connected to my laptop which got really annoying when in virtual meetings.

I went to replace them with the current “45” version and the salesperson talked me into upgrading to 700s instead. I wish I would have just got the 45 as I intended. The sound on these is good but not great.

I honestly think my old ones had better quality. The volume slide usually works, but sometimes I don’t get my finger in the right spot, and it takes a moment to adjust. The noise cancelling seems to be better than my old ones but can’t compare to the 45s.

What I don’t like about the 700s is the fit. The ear cups don’t feel as comfortable as my old ones, but this may be the trade-off for the improved noise canceling. I also don’t like how the band over the head is kind of slippery and, on occasion has slid off the back of my head if I didn’t position perfectly.

Also, I’ve had a few colleague mention in meetings that the sound isn’t great where I either sound distant or cut in and out. I use these while at my desk about 1. 5 feet from my laptop, and I’m not moving around, so this shouldn’t be an issue.

Unfortunately, I bought these at Best Buy and cannot return them. Lesson learned. Hopefully it’s a software issue on my laptop and will be fixed when I upgrade my laptop in a few weeks, otherwise these headphones are a bust for me.

I bought the 700 to replace my QC35. I was very happy with the QC35 but damaged it in a folding chair. The Sony WHM-1000XM5 has been getting a lot of positive reviews and sometimes recommended over the Bose 700 so I was undecided what ti get as a replacement.

I went into the Best Buy store and tried both am really glad that I did. The Sony seems comparable but just didn’t sit on my ears properly even when I swapped the ear muffs around. One pleasant surprise is that the 700 is much better at suppressing higher frequency noises than the QC35.

I could always hear the vacuums in my shop and figured Bose did that on purpose so that I could hear people trying to talk to me. When I saw that the 700 had eleven levels of noise suppression I dismissed it as a marketing gimmick.

It’s actually very useful. At level zero the headphones become transparent meaning that you can hear sound almost the same as if you had the headphones off. That is excellent engineering. The QC35 was very the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever owned.

The 700 feels the same. At one point the earpads wore iut on my QC35 and I replaced them with some 3rd party pads off of Amazon. They worked but they tended to hold heat and make my skin sweaty. Next time I would spend the extra $20 to get the genuine Bose earpad.

I highly recommend the 700. It’s a big improvement over the QC35.

I used to think that there were plenty of mainstream headphones that were good enough for me, mainly sticking to Sony and a couple other brands since I used to be a bass head (No, I never owned Beats, huge waste of money) But now I have seen just what I’m actually supposed to be hearing and these headphones helped me out a lot.

Keep in mind that I have owned other open back headphones before this, the Philips SHP9500 and 9600, Koss KPH30i and Grado SR80e. But these are the first pro-ish headphones I have had and they are worth every scent of their $200, in fact I would say that you’re getting these for a steal.

However, the first complaint that I have is that there is only one cable in the box, and it’s an incredibly long and coiled cable. Now, I understand that these are meant to be run off an amp or desktop hardware, but the very least they can do is include a shorter cable.

Out of the box, the clamp pressure is high, not so much that it’s unbearable but enough to give me a headache after 20 minutes. I suggest stretching these out with a stack of books. Yes, they are made of plastic, but it’s a high quality plastic that is perfectly acceptable.

What I especially love is the color scheme, full matte black. The sound signature is the most interesting part about this headphone – completely flat with slight emphasis on the treble. Now some mainstream listeners would not like this, but if you find a song that has bass mixed into the track, you can still hear it.

However these headphones are meant more for different types of music, mainly instrumental or lighter music. Don’t get me wrong, Pop, Rap and House music will sound great there, but these headphones focus on the mids and highs and leave the bass a bit behind.

In fact it could even be argued that these headphones can be used to mix and monitor music and audio. So for me, as long as you listen at a desk or have a portable amp dac, these are highly enjoyable headphones for those that want something that isn’t mainstream and can provide a very different experience with the music you’re already familiar with.

I was looking to purchase a pair of high quality wired headphones for my mixer/gaming station, but I was skeptical about spending several hundred for the super hi-fi headphones like Sony or Senheiser makes.

I came across these entry level headphones on sale, and decided to give them a try. I was initially a little disappointed that they felt a little cheap – with plastic parts and felt ear cups. However, once I started listening to music or playing games with these, I was immediately impressed.

The sound feels like it comes from all around you, and there is a nice balance of bass (maybe not the most for some people who like it really heavy) that blends really well with the rest of the music.

They were also great for gaming and let me hear footsteps and sounds that I didn’t hear with even my other Bose headphones. After gaming and listening for several hours, I was surprised at how I almost forgot I was wearing them.

The cheap feel that I initially thought, turned into extreme comfort over extended periods. The felt-like ear cups also didn’t get hot and the headband did not dig into my head like some other headphones.

It’s obvious that the plastic material was a decision based on weight and comfort, and is in fact quite durable. They are not built to be sound cancelling, nor do they block all outside sound, but this adds to the comfort and longevity for use – I find that noise cancelling makes me sick and I don’t like walking away from listening to headphones with my ears ringing from headphones that don’t have a balance between outside/inside sounds.

Overall, I Highly recommend these based on the overall sound quality and comfort. My only drawback is that there is not a replaceable/detachable cord.

I have never purchased a pair of “audiophile” headphones before; I’ve only had Beats, Bose, various “high-end” gaming headsets, but all of those pale in comparison to these. I’ve never experienced music like I am with the HD560s, especially now that I have paired these with the Audio-Quest Dragon-Fly Red USB DAC.

I subscribed to Tidal music and am listening to music in lossless format which has made me appreciate songs that I never thought twice about listening to. These headphones will allow you to pry into the world of music creation and determine whether or not songs were actually mixed and mastered well.

Songs I once loved I can no longer listen to with these because I can actually hear how badly they were made. The opposite of that is also true, where there are tracks that I never really cared for but these headphones have given me an appreciation for just how well they were done.

I can’t believe how amazing music sounds now. I can finally understand why people would consider themselves to be audiophiles. I haven’t listened to music this frequently since I was in college, and that was nearly a decade ago.

It is like seeing for the first time, a breathtaking experience that I am so happy to be able to have. Buy a headphone amp, buy these headphones, and listen to music in a lossless quality format. It will change your appreciation for music – I guarantee it.

Headphones this inexpensive shouldn’t sound this good. They are crystal clear. They are comfortable. They are INCREDIBLE.