Ask HN: Looking for a decent pair of wireless headphones
I do a lot of development listening to music and I'm looking for a (price no real object here) pair of wireless headphones.
I've gone through a bunch of bluetooth headphones and the only ones I would recommend are these weird looking ones from LG (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009A5204K/). They are comfortable, well made, the battery lasts forever and the form factor is really convenient to use, you can wear them forever with no fatigue at all, there is nothing that gets uncomfortable. If they ever stop making them I am going to buy another one, maybe 2, to make sure I have good headphones until someone makes a decent replacement.
I've also tried the plantronics backbeat line (http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-903-Headset-Frust...) and they are OK, but they broke often and while they were comfortable for bluetooth headphones thats not saying much. The firmware seemed crappy, they were flaky to pair and to use any buttons but the volume ones.
I have a pair of Jaybird Freedom Sprints for running (http://www.amazon.com/Jaybird-Freedom-Sprint-Bluetooth-Headp...) because they are water resistant and I can run in them. There is literally no other good feature. Uncomfortable, batteries can't hold a charge and iffy buttons. I unplug them from the charger when I go for a run and plug them back in when I get back. If I break that habit then they are guaranteed to be dead when I want to use them.
I had a pair of Motorola S305's or one of the same line, can't remember. I returned them because they were too uncomfortable to wear for more than an hour or so. I find all the ones with that form factor with a solid band that loops over your ear and then down and behind your head along your lower neck to be like that.
If you are looking for wireless "cans" then you have a lot of great options from what I understand, but if you are valuing comfort, portability and battery life over sound quality then, seriously, get the LGs.
Sound quality is average, but battery life and ease of use is unbelievable. Plus, you can take calls on them. The battery will go for a week or two with heavy use. This is after using them a couple hours a day for the last 2 years. I'm amazed that I don't see more people with these things.
I've been using these daily for over three years straight. They're comfortable for 3-5 hours at a time, and they pair effortlessly with most smartphones. I wouldn't really recommend them for 40 hours a week, but if you just need something cheap and versatile, they're great.
But they are quite mediocre compared to even the cheapest Sennheiser wired headphones for listening to music. Sennheiser has some Bluetooth products, but they are expensive and only the most expensive model has ear cups that enclose the ear. Parrot makes some that are similarly expensive. So does Monster.
These AKGs are not ear-enclosing but they are reasonably priced if they deliver AKG quality: http://www.amazon.com/AKG-K830BT-High-End-Wireless-Bluetooth...
These Sony's do nfc and speakerphone for a very reasonable price: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Drbtn200b-Bluetooth-Headset-Black...
I use Meelectronics IEMs as my airplane isolation earphones. Very good, and cheap enough I wouldn't get pissed if I lost them, and they do make Bluetooth headphones, too: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA09M0N034...
I've been happy with them so far. I also like the fact they use standard NiMH AAA batteries, so replacements are cheap and it's easy to keep a spare pair around.
I'm able to wander around my apartment with no signal issues.
Try these out. These are extremely practical Bluetooth headset. Good battery life, 7-10 hours continuos hearing. If battery is a problem, buy two of them, that's what I did.
http://www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/studio-wireless/beats-s...
I don't generally endorse products that I consider to be overpriced, but 1) I have no experience with them, so I can't say that they are or aren't, and 2) the list of features is quite impressive (12 hours battery, bluetooth, headset controls, and supposedly fantastic quality sound).
Because the author said that price is no object?
Because the new model is wireless?
Because the new model looks less like a toy and more like something people might wear?
By most accounts, the quality is there, and with the feature set, they don't appear to be that overpriced. Or at least, not so much so when compared to its nearest competition.
I qualified my lack of first-hand experience, so I don't feel remotely guilty about the suggestion. Why does it offend you so much? Why do you feel yourself to be the arbiter of what's worthwhile and not?