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Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for the Mac Ecosystem

R

rhyzome

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 2, 2012
394
84
I’ve been eying the Beats Studio 3 and Bose QC35ii.

From what I’ve read, Bose has the best noise cancelling around but the Studio 3 is the only noise cancelling headphone set with a W1 chip, allowing seamless pairing/switching with/between devices.’

I’m looking for a pair of headphones with the best noise cancellation and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem (I use pretty much every apple product...each day I might switch between at least 3-4 devices...I don’t want something I’ll have to fuss around with each time)

What’s the best thing around right now?

Is it worth waiting for a Bose QC35iii, maybe with the W1 chip? Any rumors about something like that?
 
W1 chip is apple’s own so I doubt we’ll see that with bose unless Apple buys them lol

I have bose noise cancelling headphones and use them with my Apple products. Easy connection via Bluetooth
 
I use my Bose QC35's nearly constantly. I'm autistic (aspie) and use the noise cancellation for sensory issues. I mostly keep them connected to my iPhone 7+ and iPad Pro 10.5, but can easily pair them with my Android phone within seconds. They remember the last two connections.

They've only malfunctioned by shutting off automatically when I need to update the app or software. The battery life is incredible, and even after owning them for nearly two years (I think,) it hasn't noticeably diminished. I find them quite comfortable for long periods of listening, even though I wear glasses.

The only caveat is they're mediocre for music. Great for audiobooks and podcasts, though. Also, if you ever run out of battery life while listening, you can plug them into the charger for half an hour, and they'll be ready for hours more listening. It's frankly one of the best gadgets I've purchased in a long time.

If you can't wait, go for the current model Bose, or check out what Sony and Sennheiser are offering lately. The Sony flagship is a bit more expensive but consistently rated as best available under $500. (I don't use Beats.) Hope that helps. :)
 
Bowers & Wilkins px? It’ll connect to up to 8 devices, the noise cancelling is excellent and the sound quality is superb. They support aac & apt-x so bases covered there. Fantastic build quality and , imo really good looking.
Worth a look.
 
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Sony WH1000XM2 have better noise cancellation and much better audio quality.

They aren't quite as comfortable, though. They aren't uncomfortable or anything, but the Bose are definitely more comfortable to wear.

The Sony does have some handy features like being able to let ambient sound pass (with an optional focus on voice only). I didn't think I'd use that feature but it's very handy.

One common complaint I saw was that the Sony pair will turn off after 5 minutes of no input, which can be annoying if you just want them in noise cancelling mode. However, if you plug in the 3.5mm cable (it comes with one) then it won't auto-off. If it's something you do all the time, you could get/make a little stub to make it think it's connected.
 
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