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Reddit Reviews
AirPods Pro 2 for earbuds and Sennheiser Momentum 4 for headphones. Both work well.
I have Senn Momentum 4ās which are great wireless, but I just got the Hifiman Ananda Nanoās and they are fantastic. They are open back, so better for listening in a quieter setting. My headphone testing tune is the Opening jam ā> Chinaā> Mind left body jam ā> Rider on Dickās Picks 12 (Providence Civic Center 6/26/74 and Boston Garden 6/28/74 . Itās my absolute favorite China Riders partially because it is so crystal clear. The soundstage on the Ananda nanoās is outstandingā you can hear the position of the band on stage, and the clarity is amazing. Itās alot of headphone for 319 right now on Amazon. They are a few years old, but they were 800 or so when they were initially released. They are my end game over the ears (at least for now). I specifically looked for headphones that had the most soundstage because I listen to so much Dead. My listening set up is: ALAC or FLAC from iPhone/iPad/MacBook Proā Qudelix 5k DACā Douk audio preampā Douk audio headphone amp ā Ananadaās.
i really like my sennheiser momentum 4 in my eyes they are the best bang for buck
had them for quite awhile now and they survived lots of dropping and slamming against stuff
Sennheiser Momentum 4 can be found close to that budget. Maybe some refurbs. They are supposed to have best sound quality, but medicore ANC. Sony ULT wear and Bose QC have much better ANC. Sony has overwhelming bass and are quite capable with EQ and loaded with features. Bose have best ANC, are most comfy and have crystal clear sound. If you don't use max volume (and isolated headphones with ANC help to avoid that), people should not hear your music.
Not sure if they are studio headphones, but I'm pretty sure they are not gaming headsets either. I got my bose quietcomfort 15 around 2012 iirc and they are still my pc headphones to this day (I have a sennheiser momentum 4 for when I have to walk around the house and don't want a wire interfering). The qc works without a problem and honestly they are one of the nicest headphones I had the pleasure of interacting with.
I have three of these and will give my opinions. Best for music is clearly the Focal Bathys with the onboard DAC. This rivals my DCA Noire and LCD-3 headphones for separation and clarity. Not as detailed as the LCD-3 but still clearly the best sound profile of the three. The ANC is the worst of the 3 especially for low dB noises. Microphone also worst of the 3. Comfort is ok but not phenomenal. Most comfortable with the best ANC for me is the Bose QC Ultra with the Sony right behind. Bose and Sony both need EQ and I don't see much of a difference between them for that. Sony has more bells and whistles with the APP with a better environment for adaptive sound control if that is of interest to you. And out of the box Sony sound better but for me still needs a lot of EQ to even out the low and high frequencies. Also I'm not a huge fan of the lack of deep cups for the WH1000X6 but that is just my preference for comfort. But agree just test all three by going to big box store or ordering and returning them. I also agree that the #2 for sound is the Sennheiser Momentum 4 which is the best deal of the four.
Current deals on the Sennheiser Momentum 4. I have the Bose QC Ultra v1 and they have great ANC, solid microphones and a pretty commerically forward slightly above average sonic approach. We have the XM5 and XM6 and they are the same except their EQ program and App run circles around the Bose app. But neither is as good sonically as the Momentum 4 which has solid but not leading ANC/microphones.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 over ear headphones. Bulky to carry around but great sound quality and good enough noigh noise cancelling to use on a bus.
Try these and find the one that works for your use case (and ears). You wonāt go far wrong with any at this price point. Wireless: Sony WH-1000 XM6 - arguably best all rounder. Supports LDAC on android, so hi-res music! Can be used wired. Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra (Gen 2) - anc king. Lots of great reviews. Comfortable for long haul. Sennheiser Momentum 4 - Good sound, 60 hr battery life, but Iāve seen some negative build quality stories. Bowers & Wilkins Px7s3: Solid build, great sound. High quality. Wired: Assuming closed back rather than open without anc. Meze 99 classics - beautiful build quality. Check design. Warm sound. Focal Azurys - Punchy. Have a look at design to see if it works for you. Solid sound quality. Sony MDR-M1 - comfy for long periods. Personal note: The Bowers & Wilkins are the most elegantly designed and arguably have the best sound quality. The Sony have the best anc and support hi-res, with Bose very closely behind. Take these 3 as strong options and head to a shop for a listen. Happy listening!
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Audiophile music listening

Top pick
Sennheiser - HD 6XX
Best for Bass-heavy music

Top pick
Sennheiser - MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
Best for Competitive FPS gaming

Top pick
Sennheiser - HD 560S
Best for Guitar practice

Top pick
Sony - MDR-7506
Best for Long-haul flights

Top pick
Sony - WH-1000XM4
Best for Marathon gaming sessions

Top pick
Sennheiser - HD 560S





