This may be OT since strictly speaking it’s about hardware… I trust it is ok to post it given the spirit of the community, but have my apologies and feel free to remove it if it’s not.

I’m looking to replace my old Bose QC25, since they have recently died (after a long a fulfilling life), but it seems everything nowadays is bluetooth (which I don’t mind) and require some proprietary app to turn ANC on/off (which I do mind… are physical buttons/switches become too expensive to include in your overpriced earbuds?).

Anyway… do you know of any headphones/earbuds that meet the following?

  1. can be powered via wire or have batteries that last 12+hrs (long-haul flights)
  2. have decent noise cancelling
  3. don’t require me to install a apps or can be used with some open source app (possibly with full functionality and straightforward to setup)
  4. are not overly expensive (I have to buy 2 pairs and I’ll only use them a few times a year when I fly)
  • fri@beehaw.org
    81·
    8 months ago

    I personally use two pairs that satisfy most of your criteria:

    • Jabra Elite 85t. You switch between ANC/passthrough by double-clicking the right bud; it doesn’t need the app to do that. However, if your 12 h requirement is about consecutive hours, they won’t work (buds last about 5 h, plus 20 h from the case). They’re pretty compact and the case is magnetic, which I really like (coming from 65t model).
    • Sony WH1000XM5. Insanely good ANC and nice battery life. There’s a physical button on the left cup to toggle between modes, which I believe are set to ANC/passthrough by default. The app lets you add a third mode (off), so you don’t need it at all.

    I had a similar approach about headphones as you had - I only planned to use them for work, specifically Teams meetings in a loud office. But XM5s have such great ANC and sound quality that I now commute and travel with them.

    For gaming, I’m using HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless. They have an unbelievable 300 hours battery life and decent passive noise canceling, though no ANC. They’re using a proprietary wireless connection, making them fit for gaming without noticeable lags (Bluetooth sucks in this regard, I can’t play with 300 ms audio delay). Not sure if you can connect them to a phone.