Headphone Recommendation

[dalekphalm]

Hey guys, my Fiancee is looking for a pair of headphones, so I'm looking for some recommendations.

 

She wants 2 things:

1. Noise Cancelling (I assume active is better? If not, why?)

2. Better quality then my Sennheiser HD598's

 

Budget is $200 CAD, but I'd be willing to look at ones up to $300 CAD if the recommendation to do so was compelling.

 

Source content will mainly be CD's at full quality, and LP Records, but there will be plenty of MP3's, AAC's, and some ALAC. Music Genres will include everything, but lots of Classical and lots of modern pop/top 40's.

 

She's a music theorist and performer, so she's got a damn good ear.

 

No major preference on "sound signature", as long as they're clear, good quality, and the bass isn't overpowering.

 

Devices being used: iPhone 5s, Macbook Air, and a lower-ish end Record Player (w/ integrated DSP and amp, nothing fancy - yet anyway lol).

 

If there is a compelling reason to add a DAC/Amp, please include a recommendation - portability isn't necessarily required in this category.

 

Looks: No gamer ugly shit, please, but they don't need to look special.

 

Please list all recommendations in CAD - Amazon.ca is preferred retailer, but will accept any national Canadian Retailer

[Gruenbaum]

If you have the money get the Bose Noise canceling headphones. They are over your price point (the Canadian dollar is loosing value) but they are very good headphones with 20+ hours of battery life. (This is the Canadian Website) 

[dalekphalm]

Just now, Gruenbaum said:

If you have the money get the Bose Noise canceling headphones. They are over your price point (the Canadian dollar is loosing value) but they are very good headphones with 20+ hours of battery life. (This is the Canadian Website) 

Can you be specific about the model? Are you referring to the QC25?

[Gruenbaum]

Just now, dalekphalm said:

Can you be specific about the model? Are you referring to the QC25?

They all preform about the same to my knowledge. This is a new technology for the masses. The differences is that the QC35 offers more features.

[Gruenbaum]

And the 35s are wireless

[dalekphalm]

Just now, Gruenbaum said:

They all preform about the same to my knowledge. This is a new technology for the masses. The differences is that the QC35 offers more features.

According to their site, it's also wireless - nice, but an unnecessary extra expense

 

Any idea how the QC 25's compare to the HD 598's (or similar) in terms of pure audio quality?

[Gruenbaum]

Eh hard to tell if you haven't had the experience of having both on to compare them yourself in person. But here is a nice comparison between the two! Aren't the HD 598's opened back? They don't have active noise canceling.

[dalekphalm]

Just now, Gruenbaum said:

Eh hard to tell if you haven't had the experience of having both on to compare them yourself in person. But here is a nice comparison between the two! Aren't the HD 598's opened back? They don't have active noise canceling.

That's correct, they are open back w/o noise cancelling.

 

I realize this makes it incredibly hard to make an Apples to Apples comparison. My fiancee wanted noise cancelling and headphones that sounded better then mine (I don't think she realizes how expensive this might get lol).

[Gruenbaum]

Those Bose are very competitive. If you live near a highway and want to have some quiet time outside, the Bose are the way to go. If she wants something better, look at some of the more expensive Sennheiser ones. lol

[Gruenbaum]

Ask her what she wants to do with them and will she actively use them on a weekly basis. Would it be possible to go and try some that are located around you?

[dalekphalm]

Just now, Gruenbaum said:

Ask her what she wants to do with them and will she actively use them on a weekly basis. Would it be possible to go and try some that are located around you?

I doubt we'd get much of a chance to demo these. Finding a pair in some store that also has a demo available isn't as common as it used to be.

 

I'm also checking out the Sennheiser PXC 450's - on Amazon.ca, they're like $15 cheaper than the Bose QC 25's - ($315 vs $330 CAD). Checking reviews and comparisons.

 

I'll also see how important noise cancelling is, because that will make it a lot easier without.

[Gruenbaum]

Looked at closed back headphones. Those can cancel some of the noise and don't proclaim to the world what you are listening to. 

[dalekphalm]

20 minutes ago, Gruenbaum said:

Looked at closed back headphones. Those can cancel some of the noise and don't proclaim to the world what you are listening to. 

In the process of trying to narrow down her criteria and priorities Will try to update the thread once I get something more substantial. I've built up a short-list of contenders, depending on what values she's looking for.

[Gruenbaum]

3 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

In the process of trying to narrow down her criteria and priorities Will try to update the thread once I get something more substantial. I've built up a short-list of contenders, depending on what values she's looking for.

good luck!

[SSL]

At least right now, matching even the HD 558 in sound quality with ANC headphones is impossible. ANC is complicated to implement, and even the likes of Sennheiser can't completely figure it out. Bose is pretty much the best you can do if ANC is required.

[GamerDude]

IF ANC is a 'must have', then it has to be Bose 'QC' line of ANC cans, no other has quite that Bose ANC magic. But based purely on sound, then I'm afraid it sounds rather decent at best. My friend is an ANC headcase, he went from QC15 to QC25 to Sennheiser Momentum BT (no ANC, but very good sound) to his present QC35. I'd the chance to try the last two and compared them, definitely the Momentum BT has the QC35 beat when it comes to sound quality, but if ANC is one of the criteria for a portable can, then Bose's ANC is top notch, though you do sacrifice some sound quality for that awesome ANC.

 

Just FYI, Sony new wireless ANC portable can, MDR-1000X, is supposed to have very good sound quality with an ANC implementation that is said to be about as good as Bose's. Not sure about this though as I've only hear this through the local grapevine.....and from my ANC obsessed friend (pretty sure he's eyeing it even though he has the QC35).

[Jovidah]

I'd give the Beyer Dynamic DT 770 pro serious consideration. They blew all my old Sennheiser crap completely out of the water... they're studio quality stuff (not the gaming-crap).

[dalekphalm]

1 hour ago, Jovidah said:

I'd give the Beyer Dynamic DT 770 pro serious consideration. They blew all my old Sennheiser crap completely out of the water... they're studio quality stuff (not the gaming-crap).

The DT 770 Pro is on my shortlist of alternate considerations for her - but that's an Open Back headphones, so there's literally no noise isolation, whether active or passive. We're still figuring out what priorities she has. I'm pushing her towards Open Back studio quality, or, if she wants some noise isolation, a good pair of closed back headphones. But she hasn't made up her mind yet, so I'm sort of in a holding pattern until she does.

[SSL]

27 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

The DT 770 Pro is on my shortlist of alternate considerations for her - but that's an Open Back headphones, so there's literally no noise isolation, whether active or passive. We're still figuring out what priorities she has. I'm pushing her towards Open Back studio quality, or, if she wants some noise isolation, a good pair of closed back headphones. But she hasn't made up her mind yet, so I'm sort of in a holding pattern until she does.

 

770 is closed back. However, the DT line is not what I would call portable. AKG 550 might be an option if passive isolation is enough - these require a good seal to isolate, though, so glasses or thick hair could be an issue.

[dalekphalm]

3 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

770 is closed back. However, the DT line is not what I would call portable. AKG 550 might be an option if passive isolation is enough - these require a good seal to isolate, though, so glasses or thick hair could be an issue.

Hmm, my mistake - I thought I had read a review yesterday that said the 770 was closed back... I might be thinking of the AKG K 701 instead or something - I looked at so many headphones yesterday that I might be mixing them up.

 

Portability, honestly, is not important at all. Noise isolation is desired, but they don't need to be "small" or compact headphones.

[Jovidah]

The DT770's are closed back. I always found them to be very isolating...but that's probably something best tested / compared in person (between different headphones).

I do agree it's not the most portable of headphones.