Which headphones to get??
One of my (many) first world problems is that I have three different types of headphones, and, wanting to be a minimalist but failing dismally, I would like to reduce them down to one, ….or at least to TWO!
But I can’t, because they all have their strengths and weaknesses, so they have different uses.
If you’re thinking of getting some headphones I hope you find this useful….
The three types are:
Bose over-ear nose cancelling headphones
£189
Large, comfortable, they block the world out, even crying babies on aeroplanes, and the sound quality is fantastic. You can plug a wire in if you need to, e.g. on a plane, and you can switch them to transparent mode if you want to hear the world as well. Other makes exist but we all know Bose are the ones.
£229
Tiny to carry around, sync instantly with your phone every time (if you’re an Android user then I expect there are equivalents from Sony or whatever – Bose also made some great ear buds) – they sit in a case that recharges them, you can pause them with a touch, and you can flip them between noise cancelling mode and transparent mode (where you hear the outside world as well as your music / podcast). They integrate brilliantly with the phone – you can take and make calls seamlessly, and use them with Zoom to prevent feedback and echo. Mine do always feel as if they might drop out, and I would hate to lose one of them down a drain or between the platform and the train or something! It would be easy to lose them in their little container too, they are so small. (Though maybe the larger options are likely to be list because they HAVE to be separate and can’t go in your bag??) And my ears do get tired of them if I wear them for a long period.
£125
Shokz seem to make the best ones – care the cheap copies any good? I don’t know
They sit above your ears, so there’s NOTHING in your ear. Amazingly comfortable, almost spooky in that you hear your podcast or music without anything being in your ear. They don’t block the world out, and they aren’t as loud as the others so if there is, say, lots of noisy traffic, you can’t hear the podcast very clearly. (Though I notice they have brought out a version with noise cancelling, so that might be better). If you’re listening to music then they aren’t very loud, and on max they buzz or tickle a bit anyway. But in a quiet place, like walking the dog in the woods, and/or if you want to be aware of your surroundings but still be listening to something, they are amazing. If you can afford them, the Open Run Pro 2 seem to be the best, and for some reason they are cheap at Halfords at the moment.
You see?? The conclusion is that you need all three!!
