Looking for advice about headphones

[Accord2012]

+1 for Bose ANC headphones.  I had a set of QC25 head phones for a number of years.  Recently upgraded to the QC45 over the ear type.  The old ones had a connecting cable, but these use Bluetooth which is much more convenient.  I think the noise cancellation is better, as well as listening to the music.  Also appreciate the rechargeable batteries instead of replacing it.  It takes a little learning process to figure out how to get the headphones to connect with Bluetooth when there are multiple devices available , but once you catch onto it works OK.  I'm in the U.S. and bought mine at Best Buy. 

[Hilda]

You certainly seem to know your hi-fi stuff Hilda.  I have never heard of that brand so Mr. Google came to my aid; think you should have gone for the EJ09      I didn't spend that much on my whole hi-fi system.

Ah, if you're rolling in cash, you can easily spend twice that on high-end in-ear monitors. I reached audio nirvana with a $300 DAC+AMP combo and the $170 S12. Perfect for my limited needs.

[Hilda]

+1 for Bose ANC headphones.  I had a set of QC25 head phones for a number of years.  Recently upgraded to the QC45 over the ear type.  The old ones had a connecting cable, but these use Bluetooth which is much more convenient.  I think the noise cancellation is better, as well as listening to the music.  Also appreciate the rechargeable batteries instead of replacing it.  It takes a little learning process to figure out how to get the headphones to connect with Bluetooth when there are multiple devices available , but once you catch onto it works OK.  I'm in the U.S. and bought mine at Best Buy.

Thanks for joining the discussion, Accord2012.

I'm a fan of Bose products. QC20 earbuds and QC25 headphones kept me sane on long commutes in noisy clattering trains. Both are long gone, inherited by family members, but I still cling to a pair of Bose 101 speakers.

[Pornhubby]

I do over half my court appearances on Zoom now. And the problem isn’t with the courts. It is with opposing counsel who think that logging in from a conference room with a speaker phone is “good enough”. It isn’t. You need a headset and a microphone. I have one for Zoom and one for my phone. And it makes all the difference.

[ObiDongKenobi]

+1 for Bose ANC headphones.  I had a set of QC25 head phones for a number of years.  Recently upgraded to the QC45 over the ear type.  The old ones had a connecting cable, but these use Bluetooth which is much more convenient.  I think the noise cancellation is better, as well as listening to the music.  Also appreciate the rechargeable batteries instead of replacing it.  It takes a little learning process to figure out how to get the headphones to connect with Bluetooth when there are multiple devices available , but once you catch onto it works OK.  I'm in the U.S. and bought mine at Best Buy.

Hello Accord 2012 and welcome to KB.  I would have gone for Bose QC45 as the best over-ear 'phones if the Airpods hadn't suited my needs.

[Hilda]

I'm so impressed by my new Letshuoer S12 planar IEMs ($170) that my other headphones and earphones are gathering dust.



I have a pair of Hifiman Sundara over-ear planars that sound great, but I can't wear them for more than thirty or forty minutes at a time. The pads press down on a pressure point at a place that I didn't know had a name until I experienced the discomfort and went looking. It's called the tragus.



I’ve used deep-fit Etymotic IEMs (both dynamic and balanced armature), and loved all of them, but the S12s not only fit my ears perfectly, they bring magic to every music genre I throw at them, from gentle female vocals, to distorted psychedelic rock, to a dozen varieties of classical music.

The only problem I've had with the S12s is the metal alloy faceplate detaching itself from the rest of the shell. Customer support told me that other users had reported the same problem, and it was caused by the glue used to weld the two halves together. The support guy offered to cover up to $30 of the the cost of shipping them back to China. He said a new pair would be shipped to me as soon as I supplied a tracking number for the return. How's that for service? Being of a reckless disposition, I threw caution to the winds and glued the halves together myself, thereby saving myself the hassle of re-packing and mailing, and Letshuoer the cost of sending a replacement. The repair went smoothly and all's well.

And the reason I'm rambling on an on about my IEMs is that I listen to at least four or five hours of music every day, so finding audio gear that reveals new depth and detail in my favorite albums is a cause for excitement and celebration.

I'm not an audiophile and can't keep up with the jargon generated by the community, but I do believe that the term 'end-game' applies to my S12 IEMs. They're so good that I have absolutely no interest in looking for alternatives.

 

[Pornhubby]

I recently learned what a tragus is.

[ObiDongKenobi]

Thanks for the ear identification chart, Hilda.  I have a pair of inherited sony earphones that hurt the tragus after prolonged wearing.

[Hilda]

I'm so impressed by my new Letshuoer S12 planar IEMs ($170) that my other headphones and earphones are gathering dust.

I see that the asking price of S12s has risen from $170 to around $200.  I'm feeling very pleased with myself for getting a pair at the original price.

There's another Chinese audio company (Moondrop) that has been making waves with very cheap, very good IEMs.

Two months ago they hit the budget tier with a set called "CHU", retailing for $20. I don't need another set of earphones, but my curiosity got the better of me. They're very, very good if you can get a tight seal with the stock silicone tips. Getting the cables to loop behind the ears is also a challenge, but the sound quality is exceptional.

[Hilda]

I did some gratis work for a Chinese company, and was surprised to receive a pre-release set of headphones as a 'thank you' present. Shipped in 24hrs by DHL, no less.



They sound great for budget dynamic driver headphones, but early reviews haven't been too flattering, and the manufacturer has delayed shipment in order to re-tune the phones. I have no idea what needs re-tuning, but who am I to know? I did my hearing no favors by standing in front of 500W Marshall stacks at rock concerts, and I'm fairly sure my elderly ears can't pick up high and low frequencies.

Anyway, the manufacturer is saying that early adopters can return their phones for replacement. Seeing as I got them for free, I'd feel bad doing that, especially as they sound fine. Currently I'm listening to a 1992 recording of Japanese artist Genzo Takehisa playing 17th-18th century music on a modern organ made in Denmark. Everything sounds sweet and mellow.

[ObiDongKenobi]

I did some gratis work for a Chinese company, and was surprised to receive a pre-release set of headphones as a 'thank you' present. Shipped in 24hrs by DHL, no less.



They sound great for budget dynamic driver headphones, but early reviews haven't been too flattering, and the manufacturer has delayed shipment in order to re-tune the phones. I have no idea what needs re-tuning, but who am I to know? I did my hearing no favors by standing in front of 500W Marshall stacks at rock concerts, and I'm fairly sure my elderly ears can't pick up high and low frequencies.

Anyway, the manufacturer is saying that early adopters can return their phones for replacement. Seeing as I got them for free, I'd feel bad doing that, especially as they sound fine. Currently I'm listening to a 1992 recording of Japanese artist Genzo Takehisa playing 17th-18th century music on a modern organ made in Denmark. Everything sounds sweet and mellow.

You do realise that these have a hidden camera and microphone and everything you see and say while wearing them will be transmitted back to Beijing.

[removes tin foil hat]

[Hilda]

I did some gratis work for a Chinese company, and was surprised to receive a pre-release set of headphones as a 'thank you' present. Shipped in 24hrs by DHL, no less.



They sound great for budget dynamic driver headphones, but early reviews haven't been too flattering, and the manufacturer has delayed shipment in order to re-tune the phones. I have no idea what needs re-tuning, but who am I to know? I did my hearing no favors by standing in front of 500W Marshall stacks at rock concerts, and I'm fairly sure my elderly ears can't pick up high and low frequencies.

Anyway, the manufacturer is saying that early adopters can return their phones for replacement. Seeing as I got them for free, I'd feel bad doing that, especially as they sound fine. Currently I'm listening to a 1992 recording of Japanese artist Genzo Takehisa playing 17th-18th century music on a modern organ made in Denmark. Everything sounds sweet and mellow.

You do realise that these have a hidden camera and microphone and everything you see and say while wearing them will be transmitted back to Beijing.

[removes tin foil hat]

They're neither bluetooth nor ANC, so unless there's a micro-transmitter in there, beaming an encrypted signal to a Chinese satellite, I should be safe.

Hang on, maybe not so safe. They now have my shipping address and my phone number. 

They're made by a Shenzhen company called MOONDROP, and that particular model is the VOID. (The company insists on using uppercase.)

I'll make a point of not using them when I'm in the bath or toilet. Can't be too careful.

[JohnTheVoyeur]

When it comes to Bluetooth, aren't earbuds/earphones more prevalent than headphones these days?

(Then again, I use cheap wired earphones from Dollar Tree on my PC, and Bluetooth earbuds for my Kindle, which is how I listen to my portable music. Don't use anything at all with my phone.)

[Hilda]

When it comes to Bluetooth, aren't earbuds/earphones more prevalent than headphones these days?

That's the impression I get. I have both headphones and earphones, and find myself using the earphones most of the time. They're small, convenient, and sound quality is excellent.

[Raceway]

Some comments that might be of help to folks looking for budget audio gear.

In return for translating their product announcements, from time to time a Chinese audio retailer sends me freebies.

Earphones:

Truthear Crinacle Zero (Blue)
Chunky IEMs with an unusual pairing of two dynamic drivers, one a woofer for bass, the other a regular driver for the rest of the audio spectrum. Great all-round earphones with a lot of punch. They sold very well until audio reviewer and collaborator Crinacle unveiled the Truthear Crinacle Zero Red, which sold even better. About $50 retail.

Truthear Nova
A hybrid IEM with one dynamic driver and four balanced armatures in each shell. Slightly bulkier than the Zero, otherwise almost identical in design. For some misguided reason, Truthear shipped them with a cloth-covered cable and a plastic ear-hook that's so short it chafes the back of the ear. I like the sound, so use them with a cable from another IEM. ($150)

Moondrop Blessing 3
The Blessing 2 Crinacle sold extremely well until Moondrop and Crinacle decided to part ways on the upgrade. Moondrop brought out their in-house Blessing 3 and followed it up with a Crinacle collaboration called Blessing Dusk. You'd think the latter would stomp all over the former but that hasn't happened. Crinacle's favourite frequency response can be achieved only by using the attached DSP. I have the Blessing 3 and it's one of my favourite IEMs. Comfortable fit and superb sound reproduction. ($320)

Moondrop Space Travel
Cheap imitation of Apple noise-cancelling earbuds. They work fine and a family member who has the Apple AirPods Pro, and is terrified that she'll lose them when she's working out, says the Moondrop Space Travel is perfect for running on the gym treadmill. ($10)

Moondrop Ultrasonic
Moondrop's top-of-the-line TWS ANC earbuds. One dynamic driver and one balanced armature, which is unusual in this type of earbud. The sound may be a little better than the Space Travel above, but I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in a blind test. ($75)

Moondrop Littlewhite
An odd gadget consisting of a neck halter containing TWS and ANC circuitry. You plug in regular IEMs of your choice. ($90)

Tanchjim One
A tiny bullet-shaped single dynamic driver IEM that measured almost perfectly when tested on Audio Science Reviews. Ludicrously good sound from something so small and so cheap. The supplied eartips don't fit me so well, so I now use third-party tips and the Tanchjim One is my favourite all-round earphone.($25)

Headphones:

Moondrop Joker
The Void got terrible reviews and didn't sell well, yet Moondrop stuck to their guns and released a budget closed-back clone that wipes the floor with the Void. Impedance is a little high, meaning you need to turn up the volume a little. Tons of Jokes-about-Joker on YouTube and other social media, but I think they're great. ($80)

[Raceway]

There's another Chinese audio company (Moondrop) that has been making waves with very cheap, very good IEMs.

I've accumulated a dozen or more Chinese audio products, including several manufactured by Moondrop. I don't need more earphones or headphones, but that doesn't stop me from checking online reviews of new products. Today I went over to a major online retailer called Shenzhen Audio and was surprised to see that only one set of Moondrop earphones is listed. No headphones, no portable DACs, no CD players, no accessories, no nothing.

I've heard of companies withdrawing a product without notice, but withdrawing a full range strikes me as very odd. I do hope that Moondrop isn't going out of business.