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Traveling Bluetooth Headphones

ClemsonDV

ClemsonDV

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 31, 2012
61
6
So I currently have some Seinheiser in-ear buds that were about $30 and have lasted me a long time. They isolate noise pretty well (like most in ear), but they hurt my ears after a while. And I hate when they get yanked out of my ears when the cord gets snagged.

I am looking for a new set of headphones, but I am no audiophile. If Bose had a nice Bluetooth set of noise-cancelling ones, I probably would buy those. But I am doing more and more traveling, and a BT headphone that offers comfort, noise-isolation, preferably noise-cancelation, and sturdy build.... I would love to buy one.

I am the type of guy who goes big or goes home, so I'd like to buy a GOOD set and not have to shell out another $100/200 after a sub-par set breaks. So if anyone has suggestions, I would love some.
 
Not noise-cancelling, but I have a pair of Sennheiser MM 400s and they are still my favorite Bluetooth headphones. They are on-the-ear, but still relatively compact. Fairly comfortable, fairly sturdy. Nice bass response for a small package. Built-in microphone for phone calls; folks tell me it sounds good. $200 or less. Bonus: you can buy extra batteries, and comes with an optional cord for battery emergencies.

A.
 
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I am hesitant with the on-ear models. Just seems like there are too many open spaces for audio to leak out and in. I don't want to be that guy at the gym blaring their pump up music and letting everyone know what I am listening to. I will be flying a good amount and would like to listen to movies and audio fairly quietly so that I don't disturb others.
 
ClemsonDV said:
I am hesitant with the on-ear models. Just seems like there are too many open spaces for audio to leak out and in. I don't want to be that guy at the gym blaring their pump up music and letting everyone know what I am listening to. I will be flying a good amount and would like to listen to movies and audio fairly quietly so that I don't disturb others.
Click to expand...

There is nothing worse than accidentally listening to something embarrassing and having people know it. I was humiliated for weeks after somehow "Barbie Girl" came my radio, and it was blaring out of my face for a good 45 seconds before I realized what was happening.
 
ClemsonDV said:
So I currently have some Seinheiser in-ear buds that were about $30 and have lasted me a long time. They isolate noise pretty well (like most in ear), but they hurt my ears after a while. And I hate when they get yanked out of my ears when the cord gets snagged.

I am looking for a new set of headphones, but I am no audiophile. If Bose had a nice Bluetooth set of noise-cancelling ones, I probably would buy those. But I am doing more and more traveling, and a BT headphone that offers comfort, noise-isolation, preferably noise-cancelation, and sturdy build.... I would love to buy one.

I am the type of guy who goes big or goes home, so I'd like to buy a GOOD set and not have to shell out another $100/200 after a sub-par set breaks. So if anyone has suggestions, I would love some.
Click to expand...

Are you looking into in ear headphones at all? I have been really eyeing the JayBirds in-ear headphones for $140 because I want to be able to run with these as well. Sounds like they are pretty comfortable and the cord goes around the back of your neck/head, I hate cords getting snagged so much.
 
Mattjeff said:
Are you looking into in ear headphones at all? I have been really eyeing the JayBirds in-ear headphones for $140 because I want to be able to run with these as well. Sounds like they are pretty comfortable and the cord goes around the back of your neck/head, I hate cords getting snagged so much.
Click to expand...

Put a radio into your skull. :):):):)
 
Mattjeff said:
If only I could! I have so much space to fill in there it should be easy :p
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I feel very confident that some day we will be able to put google chips in our brains, and have an automatic encyclopedic knowledge of everything. If we think about it -- we will know all the current answers. That'll be the day
 
I just picked up a pair of Sennheiser over-the-ear MM550-X BT headphones at Amazon for a great price. These are exactly like the top-of-the-line MM550-X without the Active Noise Canceling circuitry which I have zero use for (and I don't like the hissing sound and there is just something about it that bothers my ears).

These, IMO, are simply the best sounding BT-apt-x headphones on the market today and I tested about all of the top models (Parrot, UE9000, HK, Sony, Beats Wireless and many others). I've read stellar reviews and I can tell you now from experience that the MM500-X are simply outstanding in every respect. VERY light on the head, big comfortable padded ear cups, excellent touchpad controls, apt-x, solid hard hitting but never muddy or sloppy bass, crisp highs and incredible mids (as most top of the line Senns have), 10+hours of continuous battery life for music and 30 hours of phone time (200 hours of standby) and a nice wired connection option for when the battery dies or is charging.

One word of caution though, if you are planning to use these primarily with a portable device like a phone these do not play as "loud" as some other brands. Certainly loud enough for me, but they won't be head rattling with an iPhone or Android phone without a small headphone amp (HOWEVER, I DID notice while using them last night, that while using my Jaybird APT-X dongle with my iPhone 5, the "loudness" increased rather drastically. I don't know if that is more to do with the art-x codec or that the Jaybird has some power of its own when it transmits the decoded signal back to the Senns). I will use these primarily at home with my MacBook Air (with apt-x enabled and pairing was very fast) and my Sony TV.

Anyway, for under $250, these were a steal IMO. One of the best sounding sets of cans I have ever owed (either wired or wireless) and having worked in the music business for 30 years wearing headphones for sometimes well over 10 hours a day, I know a bit about them.

EDIT Just a note, I found these today on B&H Photo for an amazing $211.00, called Amazon CS and they matched the price and refunded me the difference. These cans for $211.00 are beyond a steal.
 
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If you're okay with in-ear, the Jaybird Bluebuds X with Comply TX500 tips are absolutely stellar. I use them in the gym and couldn't be happier.
 
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