[pawelq]

Hi all,

I am thinking of getting decent circumaural ANC BT headphones in let's say up to ~$300 price range. I've been looking at Sennheiser Momentum 4, Mackie MC-60BT, Shure AONIV 40, this kind of stuff.

Choosing is hard these days when everything is sold over the internet so no physical store to listen to a few models. And most reviews focus on features non-essential to me like which way to the headphones fold, or do they come with an app. [rant mode on] Seriously, I saw a review which said that a headphone model not using an app is a con. Like how the fact that I don't need a piece of software on another device to operate headphones is a con??? [rant mode off]

So I was wondering if anyone can point me to any decent reviews/comparisons which mainly focus on sound quality? Any direct suggestions are also welcome.

I am a decades-long user of HD580s which I really like. They still will be my main headphones to listen at home, but I am looking for something to use in noisy environments that would give as similar experience as possible in a closed headphone with ANC. I listen exclusively to classical, so balanced uncolored transparent sound is preferred.

I have always been attracted to manufacturers with pro/semi-pro presence, e.g. all speakers for music listening at home are studio monitors (Adam Audio, Presonus, Yamaha, Alesis), I use Shure and Sennheiser headphones in other contexts. This is why my initial list above includes Sennheiser, Mackie and Shure and not Apple or Bose or Beats. (OTOH I am aware that these days it is risky, like Sennheiser sold their non-pro division to another company so one cannot rely on the brand name that much)

For non-sonic features, the ability to completely turn off ANC, the ability to listen from a 3.5mm and/or 1/4" jack instead of BT, long battery life are all desirable but not 100% necessary.

Thanks in advance for any pointers or suggestions!

 

[Raketen]

Seriously, I saw a review which said that a headphone model not using an app is a con. Like how the fact that I don't need a piece of software on another device to operate headphones is a con???

Am not very experienced with them, but AFAIU ANC headphones, the requirements of this process put some restrictions on design of what would normally be used to make a good sounding passive headphone (transducer selection, etc..), so the heavy lifting in terms of how they sound is generally done in the digital domain through EQ/DSP processing.

For instance, if you are familiar with FR graphs, here you can see what happens to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 (which seem to be regarded as among the better sounding sets) when they bypass their internal circuitry: https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/sennheiser-momentum-4-wireless/

Maybe there are exceptions, but having a good app with custom EQ profiles can be vital, especially if you want to avoid stereotypical consumer audio tunings which seem endemic (even amongst audiophile branded products). Some gear will remember your EQ as well, so you don't necessarily need to leave the app installed or have it on every device

 

[pawelq]

Am not very experienced with them, but AFAIU ANC headphones, the requirements of this process put some restrictions on design of what would normally be used to make a good sounding passive headphone (transducer selection, etc..), so the heavy lifting in terms of how they sound is generally done in the digital domain through EQ/DSP processing.

For instance, if you are familiar with FR graphs, here you can see what happens to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 (which seem to be regarded as among the better sounding sets) when they bypass their internal circuitry: https://crinacle.com/graphs/iems/sennheiser-momentum-4-wireless/

Maybe there are exceptions, but having a good app with custom EQ profiles can be vital, especially if you want to avoid stereotypical consumer audio tunings which seem endemic (even amongst audiophile branded products). Some gear will remember your EQ as well, so you don't necessarily need to leave the app installed or have it on every device

Thank you, this is helpful to understand the app requirement

 

[ryanmatic]

Hey @pawelq, in the event you haven’t read through @Maukey ’s superb wireless ANC headphones comparison thread, you should definitely give it a look.

TLDR: you’ll probably want to consider either the Shure AONIC 50 or 40, or perhaps stretch your budget for a Master & Dynamic set, as those do double duty as good passive wired headphones.

 

[pawelq]

Hey @pawelq, in the event you haven’t read through @Maukey ’s superb wireless ANC headphones comparison thread, you should definitely give it a look.

TLDR: you’ll probably want to consider either the Shure AONIC 50 or 40, or perhaps stretch your budget for a Master & Dynamic set, as those do double duty as good passive wired headphones.

Thanks a lot. The original review is very helpful even if I definitely don't want to into the price range of many of his favorites.

For my taste, based on the description of the sonic signatures, the Dali iO-6 , B&W PX7 S2, and Momentums 4 look promising. The latter two probably more because I wear glasses and I have had enough annoyance with losing seal in my in-ear passive Shures.

I'll browse the rest of the thread now to see if among those 300 comments there is more useful knowledge.

 

[ryanmatic]

Yeah the Shures definitely prioritize sound quality over ANC, but they do sound more neutral than most comparable other sets. Their drivers are excellent when used passively, too.

I really like the Px8 (and the 7 variant) because I enjoy B&W’s warm house sound but it’s a bummer they can’t be used passively (they do sound great via USB-C though).

 

[pecotunkA]

Maybe there are exceptions, but having a good app with custom EQ profiles can be vital, especially if you want to avoid stereotypical consumer audio tunings which seem endemic (even amongst audiophile branded products). Some gear will remember your EQ as well, so you don't necessarily need to leave the app installed or have it on every device

I am new here, but have had a lot of experience with bluetooth headphones (some ANC) in the past 2 years and my experience lines up with what Raketen has said here.
out of 5 pairs of bluetooth headphones, only 1 pair has had extremely close to preferred tuning out of the box (which didn't have me wishing/reaching for the in App custom EQ).
every person hears differently and will have different preferences, so I don't think I am an odd case. even your head shape and how well the headphone seals will change the perceived sound.

some of the pairs I have also do not have an App at all, and even though the tuning is not horrible on those pairs I would like it if I could correct small areas and have some control over the sound. as Raketen also said, it's very convenient to have the custom EQ saved to the DSP on the headphones as it is then "set and forget" and the headphones sound consistent no matter what source device you are listening to. obviously you could run a system-wide custom EQ on all devices you intend to use it with, but some devices simply don't have that option such as iOS.
I think Mac and Windows do have system-wide EQ software options, not sure about Streaming box's though (TV movies).

out of the brands you mentioned, Yamaha has recently released the E700B ANC model which is in your price range and in a departure from their previous models comes with an in App customizable EQ.

also as ryanmatic mentions, the Shure's apparently sound good passively with 3.5mm connection as well. so that gives some additional years of product life from your investment. not sure about the new Yamaha's. but typically and even with newer Sennheiser models they only sound great with the DSP enabled (headphones powered on) meaning they will drain the battery (although in my experience more slowly than using bluetooth input).

 

[pawelq]

Thanks @pecotunkA. I decided to pull the trigger and ordered the Shures. The common theme of most reviews that look written by a competent human not by AI (also shared by @ryanmatic's opinion) is neutrality. Clear top, no overwhelming bass. I think I should like it. Plus I realized that these are going to be my headphones only or mostly for listening in noisy environments, not my main cans. IMO no point spending an exorbitant amount of money when compromises are inevitable. $200 (which is the current price for black or white Aonic 50) is fine. I was tempted by the nice look of the brown version, would go well with my green Pixel 7 , but I am not paying 50% more for the looks.

 

[pecotunkA]

Thanks @pecotunkA. I decided to pull the trigger and ordered the Shures. The common theme of most reviews that look written by a competent human not by AI (also shared by @ryanmatic's opinion) is neutrality. Clear top, no overwhelming bass. I think I should like it. Plus I realized that these are going to be my headphones only or mostly for listening in noisy environments, not my main cans. IMO no point spending an exorbitant amount of money when compromises are inevitable. $200 (which is the current price for black or white Aonic 50) is fine. I was tempted by the nice look of the brown version, would go well with my green Pixel 7 , but I am not paying 50% more for the looks.

no problem. Shure’s sound like a good value choice for you, especially when they will only used in a pinch (noisy environments) as you said.