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XMas is coming. Any picks for headphones?

lauramayer

lauramayer

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 5, 2016
228
119
Hello,
Xmas is coming and I am ready for some shopping :).

I have a friend who lost his headphone on an airplane. He uses Bluetooth headphones with his iPad.

I want to buy him a new pair of headphones. Prince range 100 - 200 $.

Any picks or ideas?

Greetings,
Laura
 
I'm looking for the same thing for my kids. I bought them cheap headphones to use with their iPads 2 years ago. One pair stopped working so I'd like to get them something nicer. Trying to stay around $100.00.
 
The Jaybird X series are pretty much the best all-rounder on the market for bluetooth. There are three generations now, and you can still get X1 and X2 (both still excellent) for sub-$100.

Given their shape, I will be incredibly surprised if the new Apple pods come anywhere close to the X3s for usability and general quality.
 
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I'd like to find over the ear headphones. Currently looking at a few from Sony. They are in the $75-$100 range on sale.
 
Pootmatoot said:
The Jaybird X series are pretty much the best all-rounder on the market for bluetooth. There are three generations now, and you can still get X1 and X2 (both still excellent) for sub-$100.

Given their shape, I will be incredibly surprised if the new Apple pods come anywhere close to the X3s for usability and general quality.
Click to expand...

I have the X1's and really like them - good sound and fit.
 
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Headphones are a very personal preference thing in my opinion. Personally I'd either buy him vouchers or take him shopping.
 
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Pootmatoot said:
The Jaybird X series are pretty much the best all-rounder on the market for bluetooth. There are three generations now, and you can still get X1 and X2 (both still excellent) for sub-$100.

Given their shape, I will be incredibly surprised if the new Apple pods come anywhere close to the X3s for usability and general quality.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. I recently purchased the Jaybird X3's and they are amazing, Best buy recently had them for 100 bucks
 
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iMas70 said:
I'd like to find over the ear headphones. Currently looking at a few from Sony. They are in the $75-$100 range on sale.
Click to expand...

After researching what is available in the $100-$350 range I just got a pair of Audio-Tecnica ATH-M50x over-the-ear headphones and for $130 they are outstanding:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HVLUR86

Check out on-line reviews for them - they virtually all rate these as excellent/superb. They have much better sound than my Bose Quiet Comforts and even have a reasonable degree of sound isolation (though not active cancellation).
 
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Got my wife some Sennhieser Momentum 2 Bluetooth over the ear headphones as a xmas present. Hope she likes them..Little pricey, but look around and you can find some deals.
 
Gav2k said:
Headphones are a very personal preference thing in my opinion. Personally I'd either buy him vouchers or take him shopping.
Click to expand...

I agree. Like many things headphones are a personal preference. Some like over the ear, some like on ear, some like in/around ear. Some like more bass some like a more balance sound. I would give them a gift certificate to someone you know carries a wife variety of headphones and make sure to tell them that you had that in mind but wanted to make sure they got the correct pair the first time around.
 
oftheheavens said:
I agree. Like many things headphones are a personal preference. Some like over the ear, some like on ear, some like in/around ear. Some like more bass some like a more balance sound. I would give them a gift certificate to someone you know carries a wife variety of headphones and make sure to tell them that you had that in mind but wanted to make sure they got the correct pair the first time around.
Click to expand...
Pretty much agree with oftheheavens. Biggest problem I run into is having someplace that you can go to and see / try something other than Bose or Beats headphones to see what you really like and don't like. Quite possible a gift card ould be best option as the recipient probably has a pretty good idea already as to what they think they want.
 
High Desert said:
Pretty much agree with oftheheavens. Biggest problem I run into is having someplace that you can go to and see / try something other than Bose or Beats headphones to see what you really like and don't like. Quite possible a gift card ould be best option as the recipient probably has a pretty good idea already as to what they think they want.
Click to expand...

my local best buy actually has a full row of different ranging brands/prices and they (for the first time i have ever seen) all work. The wireless ones you can even pair to your phone to try with your own music and then just forget device when you are done. But yeah, a gift card and telling them it is for headphones is what I would do.
 
I have a bigger collection of headphones than anyone you know, I promise. But my favorite Bluetooth headphones are these $40 Monoprice ones with external speakers:

http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15276

They sound fantastic as headphones. The speakers are surprisingly good. And they have absolutely none of Apple's sensational design. Still, I've purchased 4 sets.
 
sparksd said:
After researching what is available in the $100-$350 range I just got a pair of Audio-Tecnica ATH-M50x over-the-ear headphones and for $130 they are outstanding:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HVLUR86

Check out on-line reviews for them - they virtually all rate these as excellent/superb. They have much better sound than my Bose Quiet Comforts and even have a reasonable degree of sound isolation (though not active cancellation).
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1482104747][/doublepost]Two weeks ago, I bought the Audeze Sine with the cipher lightning connection, and the sound is amazing! Before that I was using the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, and these headphones sound is close to the Audeze Sine.
 
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ericwn said:
While I doubt they sound great at all, good luck getting any for today! ;)
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I mean, as far as Bluetooth earbuds go, they're actually pretty good. Not to mention the auto pause features are really useful for runners, and the battery life can last an entire ultramarathon when using them in mono mode.

Comparing them to other competitors, the W1 chip seems to have gotten rid of that annoying tinny sound you get from other Bluetooth headphones.

Also, competition for the AirPods IS fierce right now, but with the right tools you can reserve a pair pretty easily. We actually created a tracking system that alerts you via email when the AirPods are back in stock so you can reserve them within the 10 min window before they go out of stock again. Check it if you're interested: https://airpods.isinstock.com
 
lauramayer said:
Hello,
Xmas is coming and I am ready for some shopping :).

I have a friend who lost his headphone on an airplane. He uses Bluetooth headphones with his iPad.

I want to buy him a new pair of headphones. Prince range 100 - 200 $.

Any picks or ideas?

Greetings,
Laura
Click to expand...
So which headphones did you end up getting?
 
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