Best HiFi ANC Over-Ear Headphones? Focal Bathys, Mark Levinson 5909, B&W Px8, other recs?

[fiyace]

Hey Head-Fi,

I'm back to solicit your expert advice. I've got an old pair of Sony WH-1000XM3's that have been great over the years, but I'm looking to make the jump to buy the best sound quality possible with solid ANC (ideally suited for air travel in particular). I tried out the B&O H95's and H100's but both seemed to have way more bass than prefer and came across the other headphones listed in the title. Curious for any recommendations here - whether listed or something else! Particulars are below:

Source: Tidal on Android or iPhone with FiiO BT11 (so bonus for LDAC, and double bonus for aptX Lossless)

Music: Wide range, but would like them to stand out for EDM (house, progressive trance). I like bass, but clearly not the amount that the H95 / H100's were serving up, and prefer to have something perhaps a bit more balanced to sound good across genres.

Comparisons: My AKG N5005 IEM's powered by a Dragonfly Cobalt are my favorite portable headphone/DAC combo at the moment.

Other Thoughts: The headphones considered are all at least 1-2 years old, and I'm wondering if it would be better to wait to make a purchase for the latest bluetooth / hifi codecs to make their way into the headphones. I have seen great things about the new in-ear B&W Pi8, which come with aptX Lossless and am thinking of getting these for in-ear use but prefer over ear for longer listening sessions / (typically) better ANC while traveling.

 

[dunring]

I've had the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and B&W PX7 carbon and liked both, but the Momentum 4 out of the box tuning was best, most versatile. Not too much of anything, and terrific vocals and acoustic.

 

[blochsidisco]

Instead of the PX8, check out the PX7S2e. They are cheaper but sound much better imo, especially when dialling down the bass.

If you value ANC over sound quality, nothing gets close to Sony or Bose. I loved my XM3s but now I use the QC45s on my commute and at work. And then the PX7S2e at home when not using wired headphones.

 

[silentdisko]

 

[fiyace]

All super helpful, thanks. I think I'd prioritize sound quality first, but as long as the ANC is 'good enough' and passes the bar vs. prioritizing the best ANC.

Since I've been loving my AKG N5005's I've been considering the AKG N9 Hybrid, but can't seem to find much on them outside of this review: https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/hands-on-akg-n9-hybrid-wireless-headphones. Anyone have experience with them or any thoughts?

Edit: Would also like to throw the DALI IO-12 into the mix for consideration.

 

[fiyace]

Instead of the PX8, check out the PX7S2e. They are cheaper but sound much better imo, especially when dialling down the bass.

If you value ANC over sound quality, nothing gets close to Sony or Bose. I loved my XM3s but now I use the QC45s on my commute and at work. And then the PX7S2e at home when not using wired headphones.

Perfect timing on this review - hadn't seen it yet! He utterly destroys the PX8...will definitely be removing this from the list and will check out the PX7S2e.

 

[Rat Tomago]

There has been a lot of discussion about how the Px8s are more comfortable than the PX7. So make sure you are factoring everything in. I would take the senior posters on this site more seriously than YouTube reviewers.

 

[Knightsfan11]

I've had the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and B&W PX7 carbon and liked both, but the Momentum 4 out of the box tuning was best, most versatile. Not too much of anything, and terrific vocals and acoustic.

Just adding to this, I feel the Momentum 4's ANC is underrated, or doesn't get enough of a mention. For me anyway, I find the ANC to be pretty close to the Bose QC45 & Sony WH-1000XM4, both of which I had before settling on the Momentum 4. Maybe thanks to the clamping force?

Sound on the Sennheisers blows the others out of the water IMO.

 

[fiyace]

Both great points here. Definitely prioritize the views of senior posters here vs. youtubers, and I keep seeing good reviews of the Momentum 4's. Especially since none of the (theoretically) top-of-the-line headphones seem to have it all (sound signature, hifi bluetooth codecs, size/portability, comfort) I think I'll wait to splurge until next year or whenever a better set comes out. Until then I'll stick with my old Sony's and see if I can snag the Momentum 4's on sale at some point soon.

Thanks again Head-Fi!!

 

[ddlo]

there's a very useful and vibrant discussion thread on a similar topic here.

and as many have very wisely and repeatedly advised, there is no substitute to demo in person yourself to make your own choice. while you may find a lot of subjective opinion on sound quality, aesthetic and comfort (which could vary a lot between different listeners), the seemingly objective measurements are also subjected to a lot of debate (e.g. whether they sufficiently describe the sound quality of headphones, how to interpret the results, etc.).

i so happened to have 5909, bathys and PX8 (in order of purchases). my personal favorite is 5909 for the energetic tuning, good details rendering and heathy dose of bass boast. the passive ANC is also good

I haven't got the chance to demo H100 but there's quite a lot of positive feedbacks. i think you didn't mention if you already heard PX8 and your feeling on its tuning. but i consider PX8 already quite punchy and bass heavy. could you share how H100's bass comparing with other BT cans such as PX8 or sony/bose current offerings?

 

[fiyace]

there's a very useful and vibrant discussion thread on a similar topic here.

and as many have very wisely and repeatedly advised, there is no substitute to demo in person yourself to make your own choice. while you may find a lot of subjective opinion on sound quality, aesthetic and comfort (which could vary a lot between different listeners), the seemingly objective measurements are also subjected to a lot of debate (e.g. whether they sufficiently describe the sound quality of headphones, how to interpret the results, etc.).

i so happened to have 5909, bathys and PX8 (in order of purchases). my personal favorite is 5909 for the energetic tuning, good details rendering and heathy dose of bass boast. the passive ANC is also good

I haven't got the chance to demo H100 but there's quite a lot of positive feedbacks. i think you didn't mention if you already heard PX8 and your feeling on its tuning. but i consider PX8 already quite punchy and bass heavy. could you share how H100's bass comparing with other BT cans such as PX8 or sony/bose current offerings?

For sure - definitely no substitute to trying them out for yourself. I have the Sony XM3's and have listened to the XM4's and Bose QC Ultra, but haven't gotten to test the PX8's yet. Of the 3, I found the XM4s to have the best, clearest bass - the best balance between sounding rich, full and punchy without bleeding into the mids and overly muddying (I like bass but not a certified basshead). I test on songs like Upside Down (Diana Ross), Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes), Wonderwall (TEEMID), or Give Life Back to Music (Daft Punk). Listening to these, the Bose was my least favorite overall; the muddiest and overall least favorite sound signature. However, when listening to the H95, the best way I can describe it was that it felt like you were at a concert with the main speaker 15 yards away but the subwoofer right in front of you; you hear the other sound but the bass is powerful and overwhelming (to me). The H100 sounded almost like you were at the concert, where the main speaker was only 10 yards behind the subwoofer, and where you were 5-10 yards from the sub vs. standing immediately in front of it; this time also imagine a giant screen being between you and the sub that filtered all of the sound...so the bass still came through first but it was almost as if B&O tried to course correct the super bass heavy H95's and ended up with a sort of scratchiness to the sound that seemed to slightly flatten it. Coming straight from the massively overwhelming H95 my immediate reaction was wondering if there was a defect with the unit or issue with the connection (the B&O rep assured me there was not). The one caveat I'd offer for the H95/H100 testing was that I listened to these connected to an iPhone so did not get to experience the H100 via LDAC; perhaps this would help. Also all comparisons above were on default tuning, without any EQ adjustments.

 

[fiyace]

Quick update: got to try a few headphones out in person and the Bathys blew me away. Even without aptX Lossless or LDAC on them the sound signature was simply amazing and decided to get them. After listening to them I found this reviewer on YouTube whose reviews I think are absolutely spot - watched a couple reviews for headphones I have / am very familiar with and thought he did an excellent job describing what I heard. His review of the Bathys (as well as myriad posts on here) convinced me to just take the leap.

 

[listen4joy]