Advice please: best over-ear, true wireless, Mac friendly?

[ryanosaur]

First, I’m not a headphone junky. Phones for me are about convenience and portability.
I like my AirPods Pro well enough… but will have a change in living situation that has me seeking an over-ear alternative. (Loosely, I don’t want to be rocking the buds as a permanent fixture to my ears if I can avoid it.)
Budget is < $400 (US). Maybe stretch it a little if the difference in quality is significant, but not much over 5.

Everything seems to have their trade offs, hence why I’m asking for any advice, especially from those with experience.

Sennheiser, Sony, Beats, even Bose? Other options?
ANC is not necessary, but the option is nice.
Mainly want good balance of comfort and SQ. Basic functionality with Apple products a must… but I don’t need what would only come from Apple products (ie AirPods Max).

Thank you!

 

[ryanosaur]

Just a little bump.
Anybody with experience on any of these headphones?

 

[Zensō]

Just a little bump.
Anybody with experience on any of these headphones?

I’ve tried many of the popular TW headphones. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Since you’re in the Apple ecosystem, I’d recommend the AirPods Max due to the way they interact with the iPhone. Plus, the build quality is very good, better than many high end audiophile headphones and far beyond the direct competiton. They can be had now for around $450.

 

[ryanosaur]

I’ve tried many of the popular TW headphones. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Since you’re in the Apple ecosystem, I’d recommend the AirPods Max due to the way they interact with the iPhone. Plus, the build quality is very good, better than many high end audiophile headphones and far beyond the direct competiton. They can be had now for around $450.

Thank you. I had thought about that but Amir's review was a little underwhelming for the price. They are comfortable, though (didn't have time to listen but put them on just to see how they felt).
I picked up the wrong keyboard from Apple the other day and need to go back. Maybe I can swing a quick side-by-side between those and the new Beats

 

[Zensō]

Thank you. I had thought about that but Amir's review was a little underwhelming for the price. They are comfortable, though (didn't have time to listen but put them on just to see how they felt).
I picked up the wrong keyboard from Apple the other day and need to go back. Maybe I can swing a quick side-by-side between those and the new Beats

No offense at all, but I’m not sure Amir dug deep enough into how this headphone works within the Apple ecosystem to make a complete assessment. Headphone Accommodations in Settings>Accessibility>Audio & Visual can be used to take care of the lack of 3K pinna gain, which brings the frequency response pretty closely in line with the Harman curve. Here is the frequency response with Headphone Accommodations turned on (Vocal Range, Moderate in this case). Once these settings are adjusted to taste this headphone sounds very good (my preference is for Balanced Tone, Slight).

 

[ryanosaur]

No offense at all, but I’m not sure Amir dug deep enough into how this headphone works within the Apple ecosystem to make a complete assessment. Headphone Accommodations in Settings>Accessibility>Audio & Visual can be used to take care of the lack of 3K pinna gain, which brings the frequency response pretty closely in line with the Harman curve. Here is the frequency response with Headphone Accommodations turned on (Vocal Range, Moderate in this case). Once these settings are adjusted to taste this headphone sounds very good (my preference is for Balanced Tone, Slight).

View attachment 305164

Ah. This is helpful!!! Thank you.

 

[Zensō]

Ah. This is helpful!!! Thank you.

You’re welcome! Good luck!

 

[ryanosaur]

For better or worse... I did it.
I listened in the Apple Store for a bit, raw and tweaked with the Moderate Vocal Range; compared back and forth with the Beats Studio Pro.
Pretty solid.
So I left and drove to Best Buy and bought a pair for 100 off retail.

Definitely a splurge. But I have a couple weeks to put them through their paces and return if I decide to keep looking.

Regardless, shifting back and forth also convinced me I would be really unhappy with the fact I could feel the cups on the Beats Studio Pro. I didn't find a pair of the Senn to try on, but the Bose and Sony options just felt too flimsy and plastic in comparison. They all have their tradeoffs, I know.

Overall, these feel good on my head. I don't think they are too heavy, though side by side I can tell a difference... its not enough to even warrant further comment in my book.

On the other hand, that "Smart Case" is one of the DUMBEST things I think I've ever seen. I don't know what the "upcharge" on that amenity is, but they could upgrade the whole experience by just not including the "case" and pricing them at a still pricey $499 US.

@acbarn , thanks again! I appreciate your help.

 

[Zensō]

For better or worse... I did it.
I listened in the Apple Store for a bit, raw and tweaked with the Moderate Vocal Range; compared back and forth with the Beats Studio Pro.
Pretty solid.
So I left and drove to Best Buy and bought a pair for 100 off retail.

Definitely a splurge. But I have a couple weeks to put them through their paces and return if I decide to keep looking.

Regardless, shifting back and forth also convinced me I would be really unhappy with the fact I could feel the cups on the Beats Studio Pro. I didn't find a pair of the Senn to try on, but the Bose and Sony options just felt too flimsy and plastic in comparison. They all have their tradeoffs, I know.

Overall, these feel good on my head. I don't think they are too heavy, though side by side I can tell a difference... its not enough to even warrant further comment in my book.

On the other hand, that "Smart Case" is one of the DUMBEST things I think I've ever seen. I don't know what the "upcharge" on that amenity is, but they could upgrade the whole experience by just not including the "case" and pricing them at a still pricey $499 US.

@acbarn , thanks again! I appreciate your help.

Hey, thanks for following up! That all sounds very good. My guess is that you’ll end up keeping them.

I agree, the case is silly. Its main function is to put the headphones into low power mode to conserve battery - a button would have sufficed. I ended up buying a much nicer case from Waterfield which also puts the headphones into low power mode like the supplied Apple case. It’s a bit pricey but their stuff is super well made.

AirPods Max Shield Case

The best AirPods Max Case with in-case charging and a central magnet that puts the AirPods Max in low-power mode. Made in San Francisco, USA.

www.sfbags.com

Enjoy!

 

[ryanosaur]

Hey, thanks for following up! That all sounds very good. My guess is that you’ll end up keeping them.

I agree, the case is silly. Its main function is to put the headphones into low power mode to conserve battery - a button would have sufficed. I ended up buying a much nicer case from Waterfield which also puts the headphones into low power mode like the supplied Apple case. It’s a bit pricey but their stuff is super well made.

AirPods Max Shield Case

The best AirPods Max Case with in-case charging and a central magnet that puts the AirPods Max in low-power mode. Made in San Francisco, USA.

www.sfbags.com

Enjoy!

Cool... I figured it was a simple magnet that did the trick. Now I know.

I used to work in a manufacturing facility in The City... silly place to make stuff. Send it to a production facility in Nevada and it would cost half as much!

Cheers!

 

[Zensō]

Cool... I figured it was a simple magnet that did the trick. Now I know.

I used to work in a manufacturing facility in The City... silly place to make stuff. Send it to a production facility in Nevada and it would cost half as much!

Cheers!

PS - If you end up keeping these and are an optimizer sort of person, this is a nice product:

The Max Stand

The best stand for your Apple Airpods Max

www.themaxstand.com

Absolutely not necessary, but handy if you use the headphones a lot.

 

[JLGF1]

Fwiw, I purchased a pair of these Cleer wireless phones to use while mowing the grass because I got tired of my cheap BT ear-buds falling out (while wearing anti-noise muffs over them).

My expectations were fairly low for the Cleer phones, but I was surprised at the good SQ. The EQ in the software app helps quite a bit, also. The noise canceling definitely works, but I'm not sure how great it is as I've nothing to compare it to.

For context, my non-canceling wired phones are Senn HD560S. My wired IEM's are Salnotes 7HZ Zero (which I highly recommend for $20).

I'm not clear (no pun intended) why their Amazon ratings score isn't higher, but I would take that with a grain of salt. BTW, the battery charge does indeed last a long time as I use them for days/weeks between charges.

 

[ryanosaur]

y u no want airpods max

Initially it was price vs perceived performance in the review here. The trick above with switching accessibility/vocal range:moderate did the trick.
Admittedly, at the Apple Store it seemed to create a hiss on the pair I was listening to. Switching to the Beats Studio Pro with no change to the accessibility settings, the hiss wasn't there.
I bought them anyway and when I tried them here at the house, I got no hiss. *shrugs

Likely to keep.

Unless something changes in the next few days when I get to listen a little more.

Buying at Best Buy for a Benjamin off retail made the purchase more palatable. If the Beats Studio Pro had more room around the ears I very well may have chosen those, still, just for the savings alone. The Max are way more comfy, though.

 

[ryanosaur]

PS - If you end up keeping these and are an optimizer sort of person, this is a nice product:

The Max Stand

The best stand for your Apple Airpods Max

www.themaxstand.com

Absolutely not necessary, but handy if you use the headphones a lot.

Cool. I'm leaning toward the Benks stand with no charging feature.

Grand Headphone Stand

Discover Benks Grand headphone stand, an elegant headset holder with earphone hanger designed for convenience and style. MagSafe compatible with AirPods Max. Its sturdy build and sleek design make it an essential accessory for desk setuo. Keep your headphones safe and your space clutter-free...

www.benks.com

 

[Zensō]

Cool. I'm leaning toward the Benks stand with no charging feature.

Grand Headphone Stand

Discover Benks Grand headphone stand, an elegant headset holder with earphone hanger designed for convenience and style. MagSafe compatible with AirPods Max. Its sturdy build and sleek design make it an essential accessory for desk setuo. Keep your headphones safe and your space clutter-free...

www.benks.com

That’s a great stand, I have three for various headphones. It’s a perfect fit for the Max.

 

[Axo1989]

I don't have comparative experience with the alternatives you listed (I have some more expensive Sony and Senny) but I think Max are very good. I've had Pro but eventually lost them, Max sound better, unsurprisingly. They appear to be working for you.

I don't use the supplied case much (forgetfulness mostly, I don't hate it) but case and stand suggestions here look good. I think I will get that Max charging stand.