6 ms·

I recently paid $350+ for Bose wireless noise cancelling headphones, the problem with over the ear headphones is that I can't wear them for a long time while I

by usaphp 10y ago

I recently paid $350+ for Bose wireless noise cancelling headphones, the problem with over the ear headphones is that I can't wear them for a long time while I work for example, my head become hot and I want to hear what is around. I like the weight of the regular iphone headphones, I can wear them indefinitely, I am pretty sure case will be the same with AirPods, so I think the price is justified.

exhilaration 10y ago
I got the in-ear Bose noise earphones for that reason -- I didn't think I could wear headphones all day without my ears and head getting hot. The earphones are great, really makes it possible to work at home with toddlers screaming downstairs.
throwanem 10y ago
If you want a really comfortable set of headphones (not earbuds) that sound good and don't block your hearing, consider the Sennheiser HD 558. They're circumaural, so they sit comfortably on the sides of your head rather than mashing your pinnae flat, and their velour pads are nicely breathable; they also mass only a quarter kilogram (260g), and they're an open-back design so that ambient noise is merely reduced rather than totally occluded. (Also, unlike closed-back and especially noise-canceling headphones, they do not produce a constant pressure on your eardrums, which has been suggested to cause hearing loss and certainly plays a role in listening fatigue.) Their reproduction is quite good as well, with a surprisingly flat frequency response for the price range; if that suits you, you're good to go, and if you prefer otherwise, they won't interfere with you EQing your music to your heart's content. Depending on where you find them, they run anywhere from $100 (Amazon Prime) to $180 (MSRP), so they're considerably less expensive than your QC15s, too. I really can't recommend them favorably enough.
- softawre 10y ago
  I have the HD 598s and I can wear them all day.
  - throwanem 10y ago
    I do the same with my 558s, and not all that uncommonly also wear them to bed, because while I may want to fall asleep to Beethoven, I doubt my neighbors do. I've been told that from an audio standpoint, the only difference between the 558s and the 598s is the bit of foam stuck to the inside of each can on the former. Supposedly removing this foam improves audio quality, although having done this with my home pair but not my work pair, I can't say I have noticed any difference other than perhaps that ambient sound is a little easier to hear without it. I also haven't noticed any difference between my 558s and a pair of 598s I once had the opportunity to try, thanks to a former manager who had a real thing about one-upmanship. So I'm not sure quite what you get for the extra $50 other than style. (Though the 598s are very stylish!)
- fluxquanta 10y ago
  One thing to note about open circumaural headphones is that everyone around you can almost certainly hear what you're listening to. I work in an open office and like to listen to rather offensive comedy podcasts, so they're a no-go for me. But I will say that Sennheiser is one of my favorite companies. I've purchased 5 different items from them over the past 7 years or so (HD 555, RS 180, MM 550-X, CS 686G, and the GAME ONE headset) and they all still work to this day with fantastic audio quality. I broke the MM 550-X, out of warranty and totally my own fault, and they still replaced them with a brand new set.
- pervycreeper 10y ago
  > noise-canceling headphones, they do not produce a constant pressure on your eardrums, which has been suggested to cause hearing loss and certainly plays a role in listening fatigue. Are you saying that the feeling of pressure will stretch the eardrum or something?
  - throwanem 10y ago
    I think that or something like it would have to be the mechanism. I don't really know a lot about research in that area, but I know I'm not the only one who finds that closed-back headphones produce earache after a few hours, and noise-canceling ones in less time than that.
mgkimsal 10y ago
Did you get over the ear (couldn't tell by your post). The QC20 have been amazing, and have longer than apple's 5 hours battery life. The wireless QC20 will be out soon, and they're rated at 10 hours I think (maybe 8, can't find the article now). I don't suspect they'll be able to do wireless active noise cancelling, so the argument for the lightning port supporting active noise cancelling functionality is weird... do you want people to go wireless, or not? My first reaction is that that was a poor justification.
- SysArchitect 10y ago
  I absolutely love my Quiet Comfort 20's from Bose too. Really help me focus and have the world around me disappear.
  - mgkimsal 10y ago
    right on. it's the closest thing i cam find to portable deafness-on-demand. i use mine with whitenoise (grey or brown noise, usually) most of the day, and it helps me get in 'the zone' more than anything else.
sbov 10y ago
Honest question: why would you buy noise cancelling headphones for situations when you want to hear what is around? Did you buy them for other use cases and also decide to use them at work?
- usaphp 10y ago
  Noise cancelling works very good when you don't listen to music, like when I need to concentrate at work but still want to hear relatively loud noises around me (like toddler calling door bell).
StillBored 10y ago
Buy a better set of headphones (i'm not a Bose fan). I used to have problems with my ears sweating, or my head hurting after wearing a pair of closed headphones. About 20 years ago I sprung for a pair of HD545, which were light, open, and the foam/felt surfaces never resulted in discomfort. I could wear those headphones for 12 hours straight. I've since moved on to other headphones, but I always consider if the headphone is to tight, heavy, or the ear cushions are cheap pleather that makes my head sweat.
sliverstorm 10y ago
Open back headphones are the solution to your ears getting hot. It was a big discovery for me, as 16 hour days in the lab with studio headphones once resulted in a blocked ear canal, from ear wax melting & reflowing! Weird & gross, I know.

by usaphp 10y ago

exhilaration 10y ago

I got the in-ear Bose noise earphones for that reason -- I didn't think I could wear headphones all day without my ears and head getting hot. The earphones are great, really makes it possible to work at home with toddlers screaming downstairs.

throwanem 10y ago

If you want a really comfortable set of headphones (not earbuds) that sound good and don't block your hearing, consider the Sennheiser HD 558. They're circumaural, so they sit comfortably on the sides of your head rather than mashing your pinnae flat, and their velour pads are nicely breathable; they also mass only a quarter kilogram (260g), and they're an open-back design so that ambient noise is merely reduced rather than totally occluded. (Also, unlike closed-back and especially noise-canceling headphones, they do not produce a constant pressure on your eardrums, which has been suggested to cause hearing loss and certainly plays a role in listening fatigue.) Their reproduction is quite good as well, with a surprisingly flat frequency response for the price range; if that suits you, you're good to go, and if you prefer otherwise, they won't interfere with you EQing your music to your heart's content. Depending on where you find them, they run anywhere from $100 (Amazon Prime) to $180 (MSRP), so they're considerably less expensive than your QC15s, too. I really can't recommend them favorably enough.

softawre 10y ago
I have the HD 598s and I can wear them all day.
- throwanem 10y ago
  I do the same with my 558s, and not all that uncommonly also wear them to bed, because while I may want to fall asleep to Beethoven, I doubt my neighbors do. I've been told that from an audio standpoint, the only difference between the 558s and the 598s is the bit of foam stuck to the inside of each can on the former. Supposedly removing this foam improves audio quality, although having done this with my home pair but not my work pair, I can't say I have noticed any difference other than perhaps that ambient sound is a little easier to hear without it. I also haven't noticed any difference between my 558s and a pair of 598s I once had the opportunity to try, thanks to a former manager who had a real thing about one-upmanship. So I'm not sure quite what you get for the extra $50 other than style. (Though the 598s are very stylish!)
fluxquanta 10y ago
One thing to note about open circumaural headphones is that everyone around you can almost certainly hear what you're listening to. I work in an open office and like to listen to rather offensive comedy podcasts, so they're a no-go for me. But I will say that Sennheiser is one of my favorite companies. I've purchased 5 different items from them over the past 7 years or so (HD 555, RS 180, MM 550-X, CS 686G, and the GAME ONE headset) and they all still work to this day with fantastic audio quality. I broke the MM 550-X, out of warranty and totally my own fault, and they still replaced them with a brand new set.
pervycreeper 10y ago
> noise-canceling headphones, they do not produce a constant pressure on your eardrums, which has been suggested to cause hearing loss and certainly plays a role in listening fatigue. Are you saying that the feeling of pressure will stretch the eardrum or something?
- throwanem 10y ago
  I think that or something like it would have to be the mechanism. I don't really know a lot about research in that area, but I know I'm not the only one who finds that closed-back headphones produce earache after a few hours, and noise-canceling ones in less time than that.

mgkimsal 10y ago

Did you get over the ear (couldn't tell by your post). The QC20 have been amazing, and have longer than apple's 5 hours battery life. The wireless QC20 will be out soon, and they're rated at 10 hours I think (maybe 8, can't find the article now). I don't suspect they'll be able to do wireless active noise cancelling, so the argument for the lightning port supporting active noise cancelling functionality is weird... do you want people to go wireless, or not? My first reaction is that that was a poor justification.

SysArchitect 10y ago
I absolutely love my Quiet Comfort 20's from Bose too. Really help me focus and have the world around me disappear.
- mgkimsal 10y ago
  right on. it's the closest thing i cam find to portable deafness-on-demand. i use mine with whitenoise (grey or brown noise, usually) most of the day, and it helps me get in 'the zone' more than anything else.

sbov 10y ago

Honest question: why would you buy noise cancelling headphones for situations when you want to hear what is around? Did you buy them for other use cases and also decide to use them at work?

usaphp 10y ago
Noise cancelling works very good when you don't listen to music, like when I need to concentrate at work but still want to hear relatively loud noises around me (like toddler calling door bell).

StillBored 10y ago

Buy a better set of headphones (i'm not a Bose fan). I used to have problems with my ears sweating, or my head hurting after wearing a pair of closed headphones. About 20 years ago I sprung for a pair of HD545, which were light, open, and the foam/felt surfaces never resulted in discomfort. I could wear those headphones for 12 hours straight. I've since moved on to other headphones, but I always consider if the headphone is to tight, heavy, or the ear cushions are cheap pleather that makes my head sweat.

sliverstorm 10y ago

Open back headphones are the solution to your ears getting hot. It was a big discovery for me, as 16 hour days in the lab with studio headphones once resulted in a blocked ear canal, from ear wax melting & reflowing! Weird & gross, I know.