This should definitely be an interesting topic of discussion here. I plan on upgrading to a better set of headphones to replace my aging Bose Soundlink Around-Ear Wireless 2s. (I’ve had these for 3 years & they’ve held up fairly well. Only complaints: Sound quality is great but I wouldn’t say excellent & the earpads have been slowly falling apart.)
As the title obviously states it, I’m torn between 2 different headphones. (Both of which I haven’t tried before.) The Sony WH-1000XM4s & the Soundcore Life Q30s which are supposed to ship in November. I have done a little bit of research comparing dome drivers against other driver types & I can clearly see there some differences. But back to the topic here, I’m really trying to decide which would be better overall? The main use cases I have for either of these headphones is basically music & videos. I’ll include links to both products so you can better help me out!
I do hope that any of you who have had proper experience can help me out with deciding. If any of you need more details or have questions for me, ask away & I’ll get back to you! Thanks in advance!
Well, I did state my use cases in the post, but I forgot to mention that they will be used at home. As for how I will use them, mainly it will via Bleutooth unless I feel like using the 3.5mm jack. Lol And considering the price of the Sony WH-1000XM4s are $350, I don’t think I’ll go any farther than that.
I would probably go Sony, but honestly maybe get both and return the ones you dont like? Sound and comfort are somewhat subjective so if you have the budget then maybe try that route? IDK what your return policy is like at the places you are looking to purchase from or if you can go somewhere to try them.
Realy out of my depth with any bluetooth/ANC headphone.
Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC Explorer may be another option. From reviews, it appears to have a tighter clamp than the Bose QC-series and a Beyerdynamic-typical V-signature (= slightly elevated bass and treble).
AKG K-371-BT could be another option. Have not heared the K-371 via the BT-module, but the instore demo with the K-371 was pleasent. Lacks ANC though.
Something completly different would be the Hifiman Deva. Is open back, so your surroundings are audible. It is a planar magnetic as opposed to the dynamic drivers all the other headphones I and you mentioned (except the in-ears maybe?).
My Background
I am into audio stuff. As such I have a small collection of headphones and source gear (nothing fancy).
This is very true. So that makes it hard. I did a lot of research before my last purchase and considered the options you had mentioned. I eventually landed on the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Gaming Headset - Lossless High Fidelity Wireless Plus Bluetooth for PS4 and PC - Black. I did this for a few reasons.
1.) Really nice sound quality with 7. Surround sound over USB.
2.) Bluetooth works well at night watching TV trying to sleep while wife’s asleep.
3.) The comfort. I wasn’t sure how they would feel but I know I hate plastic or fake leather cups. These are a amazing fabric and sit nice and suspended with the ski style strap.
4.) Battery life. These things really can go a full 12 hours to almost 20 depending. Then there’s always a second battery waiting in the changer.
5.) Cord options, 3.5, micro USB etc etc.
I agonized a while after my Logitech artimus’s died. I ended up with these. Food for thought and areas I considered.
@MazeFrame@HaaStyleCat, I appreciate you guy’s suggestions, but please do bear in mind that I’m considering the 2 headphones I mentioned. Also, I already have a headset for gaming- the Hyper X Cloud Revolver S.
BTW. I know I might be a little late in the day for asking this, but I figure it’s worth a shot. Does anyone know if any Youtubers have received any early samples/pre-production units of the Soundcore Life Q30s? Let me know if you’ve heard of anything!
between the two Sony, but tbh they aren’t good, very hard to recommend anything wireless as pretty much all of them sound pretty bad compared to much cheaper wired options.
If you want bass(more of V shape) then Beyerdynamic Lagoon might be good for you, if you want something flatter then the K371 might be a good option, but personally I’d go with any of the many wired options that will have better audio experience for home usage if you want to walk around the house and listen to music just buy a FiiO DAC and a decent pair of wired headphones.
I can’t stress this enough, but they are not worth 350eur, sound quality on them is worse than koss ksc75, the only good thing about them is the wireless functionality.
So you have 7 ears? Please don’t say to any audiophile that you use virtual 7.1 for your headphones, you will be laughed at for a week.
Most Bluetooth headphones are not tuned or meant for the audiophile crowd. They are convenience items (except maybe the Hifiman Deva, which I am told is a more relaxed Sundara).
I would not call any headphone trying to hit the Harman target “flat”.
Virtual surround correctly processed and sent to stereo speakers/headphones is amazing.
While such a setup does not compete with a decent HT-setup, it gets you 80% of the way.
I don’t think people who buy cable lifters have any right to make fun of others.
Sorry, I wasn’t trying to imply that they are flat, they are V shape, just not as much as Beyers.
Again correctly processed audio with good speakers will get you much further, let’s just say that Virtual surround is a poor mans desire for good audio.
Eh, it’s about as useful as virtual 7.1
P.S. Never had the need for a cable lifter
Well, looks like my 2-way tossup has just turned into a 3-way tossup. I did check out the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANCs & they look very appealing even if I haven’t had any experience with them or the brand. But I’m wondering how these compare against the Sony WH-1000XM4s…? (Overall build-quality, sound quality, how feature-rich both are, etc.) I do still have my eyes on the Soundcore Life Q30s in case they’re good. Man, why are there times I find it hard to make up my mind?
I did check out the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANCs & they look very appealing even if I haven’t had any experience with them or the brand. But I’m wondering how these compare against the Sony WH-1000XM4s…? (Overall build-quality, sound quality, how feature-rich both are, etc.) I do still have my eyes on the Soundcore Life Q30s in case they’re good. Man, why are there times I find it hard to make up my mind? 
