Headphone Recommenations


     I am interested in purchasing headphones and have done some research and auditioning.  I would like to purchase over-ear, Bluetooth with ability to use a cable, and  price range $500 - $700. I'm not sure how important noise cancelling is because I don't want it to interfere with sound quality. I have listened to Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser in my price range.  I enjoy all types of music ranging from Acoustic Guitar to Classical.  
    Thank you for any suggestions and recommendations.
dberger

Showing 1 response by mike_in_nc

Via BT, the sound quality is very much determined by the codec used, as Bluetooth is a lossy transmission method. The best SQ seems to come with the LDAC codec, as in the Sony headphones mentioned by @big_greg. I have a pair of the immediately preceding Sony model and find them good value and good sound, a touch warm perhaps, but very comfortable and enjoyable. I listen to a wide variety of music, like you.

Noise-canceling technology interferes with sound quality, IMO, far less than using less capable BT codecs like aptX. One might even say that NC improves the sound by raising the signal-to-noise ratio. As audiophiles are fond of saying, "It lowers the nose floor." So in the presence of anything from traffic noise to a humming refrigerator, I’d rather listen through NC headphones than far more costly non-NC headphones. Need I say, not everyone agrees.

P.S. Though the Sonys connect using LDAC automatically from an Android device, I am not sure whether LDAC is easy to get using Windows, iOS, OSX, etc.

Good luck!
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