Dislike APM - Dislike Beats Studio Pro even more - Alternatives?

[JTK Awesome]

Only found one thread on this that doesn’t really answer my question.

For reasons other than price, I don’t want APM. This lame “update” didn’t help matters.

But boy am I regretting my Beats Studio Pro’s, even on sale. Lifeless audio, lousy ANC, and almost-but-not-quite Apple integration.

So what’s outside the walled garden?

I had Jabra 85h’s, and they were… fine? But they were heavy, clunky, and I could never get the sound dialed in quite right with the EQ.

I hate - yes hate - Bose. “No highs no lows” and all that. Even with the 700s I had, which also suffered iffy controls and flaky Bluetooth. Not to mention mine bricked themselves during a FW update (which at least made them easy to return).

Everyone seems to love Sony’s WH-1000XM5. I’m not a fan on touch controls on headphones but I might still try them…

— or —

I’m thinking about B&W PX7 S2e’s. People seem to love their sound, and I love their physical buttons. But a lot of reviewers claim the ANC isn’t great. Is it worse than the Beats?

Anything else to consider?

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Sounds like you’re gonna need to do your own research. Here’s one of the GOATs in the headphone genre. Tons of rankings, measurements, etc.

In-Ear Fidelity

Reviews specialising in headphones and IEMs. Home to the world's largest public database of headphone/earphone measurements.

crinacle.com

 

[BrianBaughn]

You're looking for some sort of sound enhancement that you like…or…are you looking for accurate reproduction of sound?

I wouldn't have any recommendations. I'm just thinking the question should be asked.

 

[Mackilroy]

I have APMs, XM5s, and QC Ultras. If you don’t like Bose or Apple, I’d try the XM5s. They have excellent sound, are very lightweight, and the touch controls are mostly good. Occasionally I’ll accidentally skip a song, but it’s rare.

 

[JTK Awesome]

I have APMs, XM5s, and QC Ultras. If you don’t like Bose or Apple, I’d try the XM5s. They have excellent sound, are very lightweight, and the touch controls are mostly good. Occasionally I’ll accidentally skip a song, but it’s rare.

I wonder why there’s so little love for B&W. They review well, except for their ANC. Unfortunately the only way I can demo them is to buy them from someplace with an easy returns policy.

 

[Phish311]

I tried the Bose QC Ultra...they are just OK. Biggest issue is switching between Apple devices. It is no where near as seamless as the APM. I returned the Airpods Max but thinking i may go back. Will any other headphone work seamlessly between devices? I assume i'll have the same issues with B&W or Focals

 

[Mackilroy]

I wonder why there’s so little love for B&W. They review well, except for their ANC. Unfortunately the only way I can demo them is to buy them from someplace with an easy returns policy.

I’d say ANC and cost. I got two of my headsets combined for less than the price of the B&W PX8s, and all three of mine have excellent ANC.

I tried the Bose QC Ultra...they are just OK. Biggest issue is switching between Apple devices. It is no where near as seamless as the APM. I returned the Airpods Max but thinking i may go back. Will any other headphone work seamlessly between devices? I assume i'll have the same issues with B&W or Focals

Sony’s XM5s are very good, but with Apple devices nothing will be as slick as Apple’s headsets.

 

[JTK Awesome]

You say price, but right now with Amazon Black Friday, B&W PX8’s are the same price as APM v.2 🤔

 

[iTom501]

I used the Max’s for two years, got the Sonos 6 months ago and the AirPods have been in the drawer ever since… give Sonos a try, you might be shorted and they’re very light compared to the max.

 

[Mackilroy]

You say price, but right now with Amazon Black Friday, B&W PX8’s are the same price as APM v.2 🤔

Black Friday isn’t the normal price, and the APMs are still currently cheaper. If you really want the B&W PX8, go for it.

 

[scrane]

Here's a bunch:

We Spent Thousands of Hours Listening to Find the Best Wireless Headphones

Whether you need workout earbuds or gaming over-ears, these WIRED-tested picks sound like a million bucks.

www.wired.com

A lot of people like the Noble FoKus Apollo, also.

But the APM is good enough for me. Pretty good ANC and SQ , especially if you feed it from an iPhone.

 

[JTK Awesome]

Black Friday isn’t the normal price, and the APMs are still currently cheaper. If you really want the B&W PX8, go for it.

I just pulled the trigger on B&W Px8. In black they are down to $470 on an Amazon Black Friday deal.

 

[Fuga]

I had the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless cans for a few days and loved them, until I didn't. Even with their iOS app switching among my iPhone, iPad, AppleTV, Macbook Air, and iMac was very iffy, extremely frustrating. I was lucky enough to have a few extra bucks so returned them and got the Airpods Max. Very happy now.

 

[Mackilroy]

I just pulled the trigger on B&W Px8. In black they are down to $470 on an Amazon Black Friday deal.

Let us know what you think.