Off Topic, but that's why this list exists. Right? :)
It's been an adventure getting new Bluetooth ear-thingies. I have
several requirements and preferences:
1. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). I work in a standard cube-farm and
I would like to close out the world once in a while.
2. Multi-device support. Ability to seemlessly switch between
computers and cell phone.
3. Good Microphone. I am on the phone for a couple of hours a day.
4. Good quality audio.
I like "ear buds" and find them to be the most convenient and handy.
An old Jabra (very high end in its day) continues to be my go-to
ear-bud for phone calls. The neck brace style doohicky (LG I think)
that I next purchased has ended up to be a pain in the neck a lot of
times and one of the ear-buds finally stopped working. The microphone
quality was never anywhere near as good as my Jabra. I think my Jabra
is at least six years old now.
So, I started out testing the Sony WF-SP700N wireless buds with noise
cancellation. Honestly, I could barely tell if the ANC worked or not.
The battery life is disastrous. So, those went back same day. I like
the concept, just not the execution. The microphone was a bit on the
weak side. The audio quality was actually quite good for earbuds. I
really did want them to work for me, but five minutes on the Internet
proved that my concerns were echoed by other users.
Next up, I tried the Bose Quite Control 30 earphones. These are
another one of those neck-brace configurations with wired earbuds.
They sounded really good, and the ANC is very effective!!! I wouldn't
hesitate to use them as active earplugs to ride in almost any
airplane. VERY good. Reasonably comfortable too. The neck brace thingy
wasn't half bad, but did tend to rotate around the neck and I
frequently found myself getting strangled. Unfortunately, the
microphone is worthless. I tried and tried to use them for calls, but
they proved to be unusable. Again, the Interwebs agree with me. What I
thought was possibly just my own configuration or sensitivity turned
out to be the norm. I did what everybody suggests, and took them back
before the return policy expired. If it wasn't for the microphone, I
would have kept them. I like them a lot. I used them extensively for
the week and a half I had them and was sad to take them back. But I
had no choice.
In the world of active noise cancelling headphones, there is Sony and
there is Bose. While other brands exist with some excellent models,
these two are head-and-shoulders above the rest. The sound quality is
very good and the noise cancelling excellent. Other brands offer some
compelling options, but since I was also interested in a good quality
pair of "cans" for pro audio use, that limited my search a little bit.
And at this price point, I might as well just spend the extra $50 and
get the top dog models.
The new Bose 700 headphones are very good and the controls are
definitely an improvement over the QC35ii. On par with the Sonys in
this regard. But they cost more, and they NEED the app to be
functional (beyond the bare basics). Honestly, I didn't think they
were as comfortable, either. The microphone quality is stunningly
good. In nearly every regard, they are the best available right now.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones are very much like the Bose 700 in
shape, comfort, and noise reduction. I do like how Sony does audio
passthrough if you want to listen to the world without taking them
off. The microphone quality is good, but I know from experience
listening to people on conference calls, that they do tend to pick up
a lot of room noise. From a music audio perspective, they tend to be
just a bit bassy for my tastes. I like my "cans" to be a little more
neutral or natural in the lower-end. Like the Beats headphones, the
Sonys tend to produce a good solid low-end, but to my ears, it sounds
artificial. Overall, I think I would have been perfectly happy with
the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. The Sony 900 and 700 series headphones
are non-starters. The audio quality and microphone quality is just not
there. I can hear the difference without even trying. One area where
Sony's ANC is more aggressive than Bose is with voices. Sony tends to
block voices in the room more than Bose. I can hear somebody talk to
me while I'm wearing the Bose, but not necessarily so with the Sony.
The Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II headphones have good voicing and I can
listen to just about anything at a lower level than I can with the
Sony headphones. At higher or normal volume levels, I think the Sony
matches pretty well, but at low levels, I can listen with the volume
almost off. Unfortunately, the limiting factor for all of these ANC
head or earphones is the ever present hiss. With both the WH-1000XM3
and QC35ii the listening volume can be set so low that if you turn ANC
off, the audio completely disappears with room noise. (I work in an
office with typical air-handlers).
The microphone quality of the QC35ii is very good. Is the 700 better?
Yes. I think the 700 does a better job of blocking voices of other
people in the room and keeps the focus on YOUR voice. So, more
directional. The QC35ii is still very good, though, and more "rounded"
in voice quality. A highly directional or noise-cancelled microphone
tends to be tinny, thin, or just plain weird. These sound more like a
real microphone. I can whisper and they pick me up. The QC35ii seems
to eliminate most of the room noise, but isn't so good at eliminating
other voices. The Bose 700 and Sony is slightly better in that regard.
I ended up purchasing the Bose QC35ii headphones. I've always wanted a
pair of Bose ANC headphones, and these have been the standard that all
others are compared to. I've got 15 days to settle in with them before
the return policy expires, but I think they will adequately satisfy my
needs. I really wanted the QC30 to work, and I even looked for
software options to make them work, but it wasn't to be. They just
aren't usable in my work environment.
All of these higher-end ANC headphones and earphones are remarkable at
eliminating low-end noise. All the rumble in the environment is gone.
My clicky keyboard comes shining through, and everything else is
reduced, but low-end noise is wiped out.
Purchase of these was courtesy of Alaska's world-famous PFD.
AG Ears
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