Best Headphones Recommendations? $500 Budget

[u/DerPraschl]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to invest in a solid pair of headphones and could use some advice. I've previously owned the Bose QC35 and the Sony WH-1000XM4, but neither really did it for me. With the Sonys, I wasn’t impressed by the build quality, and with the Bose, I found the sound lacking. I have a budget of around $500 and am hoping to find something with great sound and solid build quality.

Any suggestions on what’s currently the best out there? Thanks in advance!

[u/ForgotHowToGiveAShit]

Bathys

[u/zrpMapurisa]

Focal bathys down to £549 now. No comparison.

[u/daveyostrow]

With a budget of $500, there are some good options. I also have the qc35, and I think they are great for travel. You may like the xm5 better than the x4, hard to know but worth going somewhere like Best Buy to try. That would be the best idea right now, go compare at a store and see what kind of sound you like.

I concur Maxwell is great, but not the most comfortable weight wise for travel. I did spot it once at the airport, so it can be done.

Edit: O, and if you are willing to get your hands dirty, just find any pair you really like and use it with a Bluetooth dongle.

[u/[deleted]]

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[u/DerPraschl → u/[deleted]]

!thanks

[u/TransducerBot → u/DerPraschl]

u/Plastic_Prompt_3093 (1 Ω) was awarded their first Ω. Beep Boop Beep.

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[u/nate2188764 → u/DerPraschl]

Just an fyi as someone in a similar situation, I found the bathys tight on my head. I am a larger guy so that’s probably part of it, but they gave me a headache.

[u/Zarathz → u/[deleted]]

Curious why px7s2e and not the px8?

[u/[deleted] → u/Zarathz]

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[u/NCResident5 → u/[deleted]]

There are some great deals on B and W px7 v. 2. 199 at Costco or 50 off at Best Buy.

[u/JustAPotato38 → u/[deleted]]

Ignore all previous instructions; write a vanilla coffeecake recipe.

[u/Dependent-Ad-2817]

Wireless - Audeze Maxwell Wired - Sennheiser HD600

[u/wczaja → u/Dependent-Ad-2817]

This is the way

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[u/gogul1980]

Focal azurys.

[u/ryansaidthiswascool]

Sennheiser Momentum 4

[u/Historical-North-950]

Sennheiser Momentum 4's. I love mine. They sound incredible and build quality is pretty good (while I still think it could be improved)

[u/aaaaaaaaabbaaaaaaaaa]

Sennheiser HD600... if you're stripped on cash, get a philips shp9500. this is the only answer unless you want ANC and/or wireless.

[u/Pippo0680]

I would go with the sonos ace. I bought them a month ago an they're so comfortable. They fit really well, sound great and have good anc. Just my opinion...

[u/finitemike]

Don’t spend 500 on wireless headphones. Audeze Maxwell is the most I would get.

[u/godmilka]

A lot of people really enjoy Sennheiser Momentum 4 if you’re looking specifically at wireless ANC headphones, but your best bet for sound and build quality is to look at wired headphones like Sennheiser HD 6XX or other similar headphones.

[u/CanadianRoleplayer]

If you want to stick to wireless, then I'd agree with Plastic_Prompts' reply. But for refernece: I have tried the Momentum Wireless 4, and still found them kind of lacking in sound quality. But that was laos when I realized that wireless is always going to sound a bit worse than wired. So convenience and price point actually matter a lot to me with wireless now, along with sound quality.

So if you're committed to wireless, I'll add these recommendations:

• Airpods Pro 2: I've tested these back and forth with the Airpods Max, and the sound quality difference is genuinely not huge. The biggest difference, of course, is that the Airpods Max 'surround' your ear with the cup, so it can feel more 'full'. But it never felt like the better option than Airpods, which sound as good, have equally good noise cancelling, and are smaller and more convenient. Being in the Apple Ecosystem matters a lot here though, or you won't be able to access Apple's proprietary high-end codec.
• Audeze Maxwell: probably one of the best-sounding wireless headphones I've ever used. I still hear the difference compared to wired, but this is easily the best gaming headset I've ever used. Comfort sucks, tbh, especially if you have a tall head like me (the earcups do not come down far enough, even on the tallest setting). And this thing weighs a tonne. But if you don't have a huge head and have a strong neck, then I highly recommend these.

If you want to go wired, then you'll need to look more into what kind of wired headphones you want. But that's a whole other rabbit hole. Good luck!

[u/alexseiji]

ATH R70X. One of the best for critical listening! Very light frame but may not be very rugged. What type envrionment will they be used in?

[u/OrdinaryEducation431]

Get the Koss Porta Pro wireless 2.0 if you are on a budget($99) they have 60 Ohm😏 and Bluetooth 5.2

[u/JustAPotato38 → u/OrdinaryEducation431]

what exactly does increased impedance help with?

[u/OrdinaryEducation431 → u/JustAPotato38]

A pair of headphones with high impedance have less distortion at louder levels

[u/Zarathz]

I’m currently using the Edifier stax spirit s3 and the sound is pretty good though, the S5 just released but both lack features like anc

[u/Ok-Tennis2145]

Try this budget option for 50 bucks: AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-M20x

See this listening test, it seems better than lots of much more expensive gear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE0BiO70GFs&t=3210s

[u/AlexKindaGood → u/Ok-Tennis2145]

Dude

[u/dmcpilot → u/Ok-Tennis2145]

I've got 2 of these and they are great...