Recommendation: Need help upgrading from Bose QC25

[daedalion]

Hi everyone!
 
I'm new in this community so I help my post goes to the right place.
 
I recently purchased a pair of Bose QuietComfort 25 noise canceling headphones. While the noise canceling is great and the sound is good too, I'm pretty sure that I can pick up better sounding around-ear headphones in the 300€ price category. Also, the QC25s make me feel nauseous, so I've decided to return them.
 
For 90% of the time, I use headphones in a fairly quiet office environment. Noise cancellation is nice (especially for traveling), but I don't think I really need it at the office.
 
I'm listening to jazz FLACs on my macbook via a AudioQuest DragonFly. I also own a pair of Harman Kardon CL on-ears, which sound great, but make my ears hurt after an hour or so.
 
I have about 250€ to spend. I'm thinking AKG K550. What do you think, would that be an upgrade over the sound quality of the Bose QC25s?
 
Thanks for the responses!

 

[echoz]

I had QC25 for a while, sounded great like you wanted to upgrade. Bought HE400i at a bargain paired up both with chord mojo to do AB testing. After the 3rd time the QC25 sits in the box and never regain conscious.

 

[serman005]

  Hi everyone!
 
I'm new in this community so I help my post goes to the right place.
 
I recently purchased a pair of Bose QuietComfort 25 noise canceling headphones. While the noise canceling is great and the sound is good too, I'm pretty sure that I can pick up better sounding around-ear headphones in the 300€ price category. Also, the QC25s make me feel nauseous, so I've decided to return them.
 
For 90% of the time, I use headphones in a fairly quiet office environment. Noise cancellation is nice (especially for traveling), but I don't think I really need it at the office.
 
I'm listening to jazz FLACs on my macbook via a AudioQuest DragonFly. I also own a pair of Harman Kardon CL on-ears, which sound great, but make my ears hurt after an hour or so.
 
I have about 250€ to spend. I'm thinking AKG K550. What do you think, would that be an upgrade over the sound quality of the Bose QC25s?
 
Thanks for the responses!

Do you need  closed cans?

 

[brent75]

  I had QC25 for a while, sounded great like you wanted to upgrade. Bought HE400i at a bargain paired up both with chord mojo to do AB testing. After the 3rd time the QC25 sits in the box and never regain conscious.

How is the 400i in regards to noise isolation, and do you think it would work okay on an airplane? (knowing it won't actually cancel noise like ANCs do)

 

[daedalion]

 
Do you need  closed cans?

I'm afraid I do. I'm in a room with 10 other people, all writers. Wouldn't wanna disturb them...

 

[brent75]

 
I'm afraid I do. I'm in a room with 10 other people, all writers. Wouldn't wanna disturb them...

 
You should look into the Philips NC1/27 Fidelo --- it's got active noise cancellation. It's considered slightly less effective than Bose's technology (which is fine, since you're not trying to block out an airplane engine, but it DOES have it for when you travel)...and it has much improved sound quality over Bose (which you'll probably appreciate, if you think the Bose sound is good already).
 
This person said it has actually bumped the Bose QC25 out of the top spot: http://www.techlicious.com/review/philips-fidelio-nc1-headphones-review/

 

[daedalion]

   
You should look into the Philips NC1/27 Fidelo --- it's got active noise cancellation. It's considered slightly less effective than Bose's technology (which is fine, since you're not trying to block out an airplane engine, but it DOES have it for when you travel)...and it has much improved sound quality over Bose (which you'll probably appreciate, if you think the Bose sound is good already).
 
This person said it has actually bumped the Bose QC25 out of the top spot: http://www.techlicious.com/review/philips-fidelio-nc1-headphones-review/

Cool, thanks! I'll take a look. 
 
My concern about ANC is that it'll make me feel nauseous, since the Bose QC25s already did that.

 

[serman005]

 
I'm afraid I do. I'm in a room with 10 other people, all writers. Wouldn't wanna disturb them...

SoundMAGIC HP150 or the AKG K553 Pro are good options in your price range.

 

[Music Alchemist]

My favorite closed headphone by far is the Yamaha HPH-MT220. So many people have bought it from my recommendation and said it was the best-sounding headphone they've heard, or at least close to it. Lots of info in the main thread.

 

[daedalion]

My favorite closed headphone by far is the Yamaha HPH-MT220. So many people have bought it from my recommendation and said it was the best-sounding headphone they've heard, or at least close to it. Lots of info in the main thread.

I think I'm gonna choose between the AKGs or the Yamaha MT220s. I wonder which ones will have better noise isolation and less sound bleeding. I'll be mostly listening to jazz and either one of them should do the trick.

I don't think I'll go for ANC anymore, since the Bose QC25 made me feel nauseous.

 

[echoz]

 
How is the 400i in regards to noise isolation, and do you think it would work okay on an airplane? (knowing it won't actually cancel noise like ANCs do)

Don't think it would work well with airplane or any noisy area since its open back. you will hear the surrounding and the surrounding will hear you as well

 

[thecrow]

Hi everyone!

I'm new in this community so I help my post goes to the right place.

I recently purchased a pair of Bose QuietComfort 25 noise canceling headphones. While the noise canceling is great and the sound is good too, I'm pretty sure that I can pick up better sounding around-ear headphones in the 300€ price category. Also, the QC25s make me feel nauseous, so I've decided to return them.

For 90% of the time, I use headphones in a fairly quiet office environment. Noise cancellation is nice (especially for traveling), but I don't think I really need it at the office.

I'm listening to jazz FLACs on my macbook via a AudioQuest DragonFly. I also own a pair of Harman Kardon CL on-ears, which sound great, but make my ears hurt after an hour or so.

I have about 250€ to spend. I'm thinking AKG K550. What do you think, would that be an upgrade over the sound quality of the Bose QC25s?

Thanks for the responses!

Akg k550 could work well with jazz. I'm not guaranteeing it but a good headphone.

The oppo pm 3 would also be worth looking at. Probably within your budget. Good detail and well balanced/neutral sound. A little lively in the treble. Not grainy but a little fresh/forward.

My focal spirit pros are the same but slightly more laid back and a little rolled off on the upper end.

So maybe, depending on your type of jazz, the pm 3 might work. Or the other hand something with rolled off treble might be better for longer listening sessions at work. If you can listen to the pm 3 do

 

[peterinvan]

Akg k550 could work well with jazz. I'm not guaranteeing it but a good headphone.

The oppo pm 3 would also be worth looking at. Probably within your budget. Good detail and well balanced/neutral sound. A little lively in the treble. Not grainy but a little fresh/forward.

My focal spirit pros are the same but slightly more laid back and a little rolled off on the upper end.

So maybe, depending on your type of jazz, the pm 3 might work. Or the other hand something with rolled off treble might be better for longer listening sessions at work. If you can listen to the pm 3 do

+1 for the Oppo PM-3. They feel like a closed version of my Audeze LCD2F. Great value.

Most of my listening is acoustic: Jazz and Chamber classical. I do not find them too bright ... Just right.

They work fine with my IPad, and scale up on my CEntrance M8, with the gain set to medium levels. The Meridian Explorer2 drives them very nicely as well.

Great portable/travel phones, with good isolation from outside noise, and excellent isolation for not disturbing people around you.

 

[Music Alchemist]

My focal spirit pros are the same but slightly more laid back and a little rolled off on the upper end.

 
I owned two Spirit Pros.

It's one of my favorite closed headphones, but I like the MT220 more in just about every way.
 
(I haven't tried higher-end closed headphones, though. After a few hundred bucks, I demand open, I guess.)

 

[Macduff]

Another possibility is the Meze classics 99, right in your budget. I haven't heard them, but I'm also looking to upgrade my QC25's and dragonfly black with a good noise isolating--not cancelling--set of cans. My top contender is the PM-3 right now. For those who have heard any mentioned headphones compared to the QC25's, please let us know your impressions.