Headphones

I need a new pair.

What's the most you would consider paying, and at what price do they start becoming a fashion accessory?

 

I don't think they become a fashion accessory unless you treat them as such. AKA. wear them around your neck with no music playing. For me, they are mainly a work accessory. Something of function that I want to last me for years, so I tend to go for things with long warranty.

I have a £170 pair for use in my house. They are USB, completely noise removing and surround sound. I use them exclusively with my PC while working. Helps me get in the zone and tune out everything around me.
Nothing to do with fashion, nobody outside of my family will see them.

I have a £80 pair that I use when I have to work in an external location (i often work in the office of partners, clients etc.), 3.5mm jack, just plain old black, nothing fancy, but noise reducing and foldable, so they will easily fit in a laptop bag.

I then have a £160 pair of Air Pods. Probably the closest to a 'fashion accessory' to some people. I use them when I go running, or just general walking etc. Love them for the ease of use and the incredible call voice quality, despite the location of the microphones. Not very noise reducing though, so I don't use them when I'm working really, unless I need to (forgot my silly iPhone 3.5mm dongle, for example)

I think it just depends on what you want. I probably wear headphones or earphones for 90% of my time awake (and sometimes while I sleep, even), so I care a lot about comfort. I also care a lot about noise cancellation, as when I'm working (programming) I need to avoid distractions or I can completely lose track of what I'm working on.

For just casual use, I probably wouldn't pay more than about £100, unless it's something special.

 

Seriously? 90% of the time?!? I think I’d start to resent music if I did that!

 

Skullcandy decent brand plenty on ebay too.

 

Apple wireless ones are pretty good if you have an iphone of course.

Not cheap though. Luckily I got them as a gift

 

Dint where em at all **** your hearing up.
As for wearing em when out dangerous I like to know what’s going on around me.

 

Set up a bank account with a random bank and set up two direct debits to charity at £5 each, do the online switch to First Direct and then transfer £1750 in and out the next day. You can then get a gift of £150 Bose headphones and close the account.

 

Over the years I’ve tried most brands, and always gone for mid range models, £80 to £120 price bracket, for me Sony and JVC are the best. At the moment I have Sony inear and JVC on ear.

I’d recommend these

£99 from Argos

 

He's wearing them to cancel out ambient noise, not slamming beats.

 

Bose every day and twice on Sundays for me.
They went through a sticky patch a few years ago but are now back to their best.

https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/produc...etcomfort-35-wireless-ii.html#v=qc35_ii_black

Although if you go to their outlets you can pick up some refurbished of these for about £260 sometimes less

https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/produc...VRrTtCh1QYAx3EAAYASAHEgItvfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

And here I am with my £2 headphones from Wilko's. With one of the earbuds not even working...

 

Mono is the best way to listen, very retro.

 

At work I normally only use one anyway as otherwise I miss too many work related conversations. But some music does help me ignore all the other distractions in the office. I'm not a fan of our open plan office. Not too many places left where you're not in a open plan configuration though.

 

Depends what you want them for @Conan Troutman.

As people are aware, I’m a bit of an audiophile.

Sennheiser make the best mid range cans and you can pick some nice sounding ones for about 125-250 quid.

The ones I use were £250 reduced from 500, and they are awesome but they are really bassy though so maybe not what you need as they are aimed at Dance Music DJs.

My best advice is never buy headphones without listening to them first. Each pair will sound different and it’s horses for courses and what you are using them for, and which music genre you listen to etc.

Sennheiser will have the best options imho.

 

I still make music in mono, it’s not that retro.

It’s basically because Nightclub Speakers are mono.

 

I love mine, got them free on a recent transatlantic flight. Bit waxy by now, but they still work.

 

The most popular these days are Beats....

https://www.beatsbydre.com/uk/headphones

Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine got three billion dollars when they sold the company to Apple and they sponsor the likes of Anthony Joshua. When you see football players arriving at grounds with headphones on, they are usually Beats.

 

I want them for listening to music on my ipod mainly while travelling to work. I listen exlusively to heavy metal so I don't think I need extra bass.

I only paid £230 for the ipod so I don't really want to pay a fortune for the headphones - I was a bit surprised that £125- £250 is considered mid range!!

 

This is what I mean about fashion accessories!