Bluetooth Headphones??

[DaveTN]

I need a pair of Bluetooth Headphones. They will be used for Music and TV; I’m not a gamer if that matters.

I don’t want anything that inserts into my ear, so I want full headphones, not earbuds.

Of course I want the best audio quality I can get while staying within my budget. When I was looking for wired headphones, this was pretty easy to do and I ended up with the Status Audio CB-1. But they don’t make any Bluetooth. https://thestatusaudio.com/products/cb1

Finding Bluetooth is harder; there doesn’t seem to be many in agreement. My budget is about $150 I am using this number because I see Sennheiser has a pair with good reviews that is $150. Most of what I’ve been looking at is $100 or under. I can’t justify the $400 price range of top of the line Sennheiser or Bose.

I would like them to have an integrated mic, but that’s not a deal breaker.

Beats have several in that price range, but in reading the reviews the audio quality is not that good. 

Here are the four I’m looking at right now, if you have these please give some feedback, or list something else you have found you are happy with.
Sennheiser HD 4.50 @ $150
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-noise-cancelling-hd-4-50-btnc

Plantronics Backbeat 500 @ $80
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/backbeat-500/?skuId=sku29550094

Sony MDRXB650BT/B @ $70
http://www.sony.com/electronics/headband-headphones/mdr-xb650bt/reviews-ratings

Skullcandy @ $50
http://www.skullcandy.com/headphones/wireless-headphones/UPROARBT.html?cgid=wireless-headphones&color=Black&skdy_mic=Universal#ScTX5203OTHmUi2W.97

 

[Sam1]

Can't say a single thing positive about skullcandy.  most of the people that like them haven't used a set of headphones that are well-built acoustically.    Beats is probably the same quality as skullcandy, but you can't brag to your friends about having a $300 set of cheap Chinese headphones with a beats logo if you don't buy them! The other three, no experience with.

With you on the bluetooth issue, I went through probably a dozen sets of headphones last year trying to get something that replicates the quality of my 1MORE triple driver headphones and there's just nothing that does... I've just stuck with a wired connection.

[Sidecarist]

I use Bluetooth headsets a lot. I drive 50kmi per year for business and my truck is my office and warehouse. I've tried many many Bluetooth headsets for phone calls and plantronics wins in the small catagory. In the large I don't have to carry it around catagory vxi takes the prize by a long shot. I use a bt350, and bt350 daily. I just saw that they have a serious headset now. The s450. You might want to give it a look.not main stream, but these guys cater to truckers and the stuff is well built with awesome battery life. Pick it up at a truck stop, Pilot etc.

http://www.vxicorp.com/on-the-road-headsets/blueparrott-s450-xt

All of that said, the biggest issue may be that Bluetooth simply doesn't have the bandwidth for hi fidelity. It will never compete with a wired decice.

[GlockSpock]

Look into Shure.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sam1]

3 hours ago, CZ9MM said:

Look into Shure.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I've got a set of the SHURE SE215's and they are fantastic at drowning out ambient noise (to the point you can use them at the range... yeah yeah i know i shouldn't) but they are made for primarily as isolation devices and designed to perform a similar function as a monitor... not full-spectrum audio, they are so-so on the quality of sound.

However, I cannot attest to the quality of the $1,000 version of the SE's with the triple drivers (nor will I ever be able to).

Edited May 20, 2017 by Sam1

[Chucktshoes]

For talking purposes, I am a fan of the Plantronics line, but their strength is in their mics. Their speakers are fair to middling. Skullcandy is garbage. Sony is hit or miss, and at that price range I would be skeptical. You are most likely to get the best sound from the Sennheisers. Bluetooth is a poor transmitter for media fidelity, but you're not going to find anything worth a damn for what sound quality you can achieve below $100. 

Edited May 21, 2017 by Chucktshoes

[TGO David]

Of the ones you listed, I'd go with the Plantronics for quality's sake.  I see Bose QuietComfort headphones on eBay frequently for sub $200.  

I have a set of Bose QC35's that I feel like are worth their weight in gold.  I use them when studying, at work in a noisy environment when I am trying to focus, and of course when traveling.

 

[hardknox00001]

The sound quality is in the frequency response range as well as the quality of the parts.  Minimum range I would look at is 8-23,000Hz.  The 8 end is your bass end, and the lower the number, the better the bass.  Once you figure your desired freq range, its all about reliability, and I always look to read a lot of Amazon reviews.

[Bill4282]

Got Marshalls monitor wired. Best Ive ever owned for the price.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

[quietguy]

8 hours ago, hardknox00001 said:

The sound quality is in the frequency response range as well as the quality of the parts.  Minimum range I would look at is 8-23,000Hz.  The 8 end is your bass end, and the lower the number, the better the bass.  Once you figure your desired freq range, its all about reliability, and I always look to read a lot of Amazon reviews.

I haven't seen anything BT that would meet these specs anywhere near the OPs price range.  

 

On 5/20/2017 at 9:56 AM, DaveTN said:

I need a pair of Bluetooth Headphones. They will be used for Music and TV; I’m not a gamer if that matters.

I don’t want anything that inserts into my ear, so I want full headphones, not earbuds.

Of course I want the best audio quality I can get while staying within my budget. When I was looking for wired headphones, this was pretty easy to do and I ended up with the Status Audio CB-1. But they don’t make any Bluetooth. https://thestatusaudio.com/products/cb1

Finding Bluetooth is harder; there doesn’t seem to be many in agreement. My budget is about $150 I am using this number because I see Sennheiser has a pair with good reviews that is $150. Most of what I’ve been looking at is $100 or under. I can’t justify the $400 price range of top of the line Sennheiser or Bose.

I would like them to have an integrated mic, but that’s not a deal breaker.

Beats have several in that price range, but in reading the reviews the audio quality is not that good. 

Here are the four I’m looking at right now, if you have these please give some feedback, or list something else you have found you are happy with.
Sennheiser HD 4.50 @ $150
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-noise-cancelling-hd-4-50-btnc

Plantronics Backbeat 500 @ $80
http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/backbeat-500/?skuId=sku29550094

Sony MDRXB650BT/B @ $70
http://www.sony.com/electronics/headband-headphones/mdr-xb650bt/reviews-ratings

Skullcandy @ $50
http://www.skullcandy.com/headphones/wireless-headphones/UPROARBT.html?cgid=wireless-headphones&color=Black&skdy_mic=Universal#ScTX5203OTHmUi2W.97

 

It is a little over your price range, but the Definitive Technology Symphony 1 is probably the best bang for the buck based on your requirements.  Otherwise, I would stick with the Plantronics Backbeat, or maybe look at the Backbeat Sense SE.  

[DaveTN]

I ended up going with the Plantronics BackBeat Pro.

http://www.plantronics.com/us/product/backbeat-pro

Pretty sweet so far. Not as good of audio quality as my Status Audio CB-1’s, but I don’t guess I’ll get that with Bluetooth. Pretty close though.

Sears ran the Skullcandy Uproars on sale on-line for $40, so I got them also. They really aren’t in the same league; but they are but they are Bluetooth headphones for $40.  

Edited June 1, 2017 by DaveTN