Looking for a good quality pair of over ear headphones to listen to music and podcasts on my bus and train home. I’ve got a big ass head so something adjustable and preferably Bluetooth. My budget is $150 or so.

  • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
    5·
    4 months ago

    Soundcore do really good audio gear that is at the sweet spot of great yet cheap.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the higher end of the consumer market is able to offer better gear most of the time but it’s that thing where you are gonna pay 20–100% more for really marginal benefits. If you’re a hardcore audiophile then you do you but for most people Soundcore is gonna be more than sufficient imo.

    I’m autistic and I’m very sensitive to sound so this may not apply to you as much but noise cancelling headphones are really awesome. If you think that you would benefit from having a significant amount of sound reduction while your headphones are on after a long day at work on the trip home or if you’re prone to anxiety, I’d seriously consider noise cancelling headphones even if autism wasn’t in the picture for me.

    People report that the noise cancelling on Soundcore units that have this feature are about 80–90% to that of the better options out there (I think maybe Sony is considered the best in this respect? I don’t remember exactly but they’re probably twice the price of a similar Soundcore model.) I can’t attest to this fact but I thought I’d relay what reports I was able to get – some people said they are just as good but the people who have reviewed different models with that high degree of specificity that tells me that they’re more likely to have discerning taste seem to indicate that Soundcore is close but not quite on the same level.

    FYI I have Sony XM4s because I had the opportunity to get them and the bump in noise cancelling was worth it for my particular circumstances. (Plus I’m fucking ADHD so I forget to charge things and having quick charging as an option can be a lifesaver.) But I was very seriously considering the Soundcore Q45 model as an option (I think - check the specs and comparative reviews but I reckon this is the near-identical Soundcore alternative to the Sony model. This was a while ago so there might be newer models available at this point too.)

      • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
        2·
        4 months ago

        This is going to get me put on a list of bourgeois scum for saying this but…

        I also own a part of Liberty 4 earbuds and I’m very happy with them. For me with my auditory sensitivity the noise cancelling is not nearly as good as what you get from QC45s (I think?) or the Sony XM4s but they’re still very good. Like you, I think they aren’t perfect but they do a good job and I do not regret getting them in the slightest.

        In my defense, I’m super heat sensitive as well and I live in a place that has brutal summers so often I have to weigh up whether I’m better off overheating with the XM4s or if I deal with more noise but being significantly cooler wearing the earbuds. It doesn’t seem like it from the outside but to me they are both accessibility devices. Trust me when I say that I sincerely wish that I didn’t have the need for owning both.

        • wheresmysurplusvalue [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          2·
          4 months ago

          That totally sounds like an accessibility device IMO, entertainment should be accessible. The main issue I have with them is the mic quality is bad (apparently) to the listener when I’m in a call during a walk. Solution, I just don’t call people with them 🫡