Wireless headphones for music on PC -- what am I missing??

[WAZ]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a very severe case of broken brain. I'm just looking for a good set of great-sounding wireless headphones to listen to music on my PC. I've had the Panasonic RP-HTF600 for a million years, they've always sounded quite good to me (not amazing, of course, but for like $50 at the time, they have nice clean, clear sound, but could be bassier... comfy enough for listening to loud music while I work at my PC for hours without my head/ears getting hot). So as those as my point of reference, I'm obviously not an audiophile — I'm not listening to FLAC files on a high-end system; just my 320kbps MP3 collection via my Soundblaster Zx headphone jack — but I DO want it to sound GOOD.

But I went and ran over the cord with my office chair, and I'm now looking for a good set of wireless headphones to replace them. Where my confusion comes in is that I can't seem to find ones that are made for JUST MUSIC, sitting in a quiet office. No need for noise cancelling (these aren't going anywhere, just in my room)... no need for gaming features, surround sound, LEDs, a mic, ability to make phone calls, etc. All nifty stuff but I don't need any of it. Just wireless cans that sound the best possible, without paying crazy money.

I'm not coming in blind -- I've done research, but am just confused. Everyone says the Sony WH1000XM3 or XM4 are some of the best with great ANC... but every single feature seems designed around traveling and noise canceling in loud places, and every single stock photo shows people loving their headphones in loud cities and trains. That's not my situation at all. So I don't even quite know what market space I'm looking in. I see the genre that, along with Sony, seems to be targeting people on-the-go who need ANC (Razer Opus, Plantronics BackBeat GO 810, Anker Soundcore Q30, Cowin E7... all well enough reviewed for what they do)... or DO I go for more of a gaming headset that has great sound and great reviews (SteelSeries Arctis, HyperX Cloud, Razer ones)? I COULD use them for games, and I see that those are designed more natively for PC (2.4 GHz wireless, as opposed to Bluetooth on the others, seemingly targeted more towards phones than needing to purchase a BT USB adapter)... it's just that again the primary purpose is great sounding for music, sitting at my desk, just with no cord to run over. So again, these things are SO all over the place that I am not sure what KIND I should be looking at for my needs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MrSquished]

I'm a big fan of the Beyerdynamic house sound. Their Amiron home wireless have no noise cancelling they are designed for home use. They are a closed back design whereas the Amiron home wired are open backed. You can't go wrong with either.

 

[BoomerD]

Another option that's much cheaper than the Amirons from Beyerdynamics is the Audio-Technica M50x-BT.

ATH-M50xBT

The ATH-M50xBT harnesses the legendary M50x studio sound for an exhilarating wireless listening experience, with exceptional clarity and deep, accurate bass response.Utilizing Bluetooth wireless t ...

www.audio-technica.com

I LIKE Beyerdynamics headphones...I just don't like some of their prices.

 

[Muadib]

I have the Sony WH1000XM3, and they sound good. You can turn the noise cancelling off. I listened to the new Apple AirPods Max that a friend bought, and they sound great. I hear that they are backordered though.

 

[Dranoche]

Right now all wireless headphones will be geared towards non-home use. At home they're just another closed back headphone. As far as I'm aware, active noise cancelling can be always be turned off. There are plenty of options which should sound good, but they're all closed-back, which just isn't to some people's liking.

Audio-Technica has a pretty wide range of wireless headphones running from about $70-300 MSRP. Some are just wireless versions of their more popular wired headphones. Most or all of those were already closed-back, so the sound should be the same.

Sony also has quite a few (~$60-350), many of which have been well received, but I can't wrap my head around the hierarchy of Sony's lineup. Multiple models at the same price, two apparently distinct lines (WH and MDR) but individual model numbers that don't clarify the hierarchy. Some have actually been rebranded from one line to the other. Most of the differences have to do with the sound profile and/or bass boost. You'll have to do some research. They also have a few models with RF base stations that also double as stands, and simulated surround.

Sennheiser has 6 or 7 in their current lineup (~$100-450), several of which have base stations transmitters/stands. The cheapest one I believe is actually open back but also on ear instead of around ear.

There are a number of higher end options like the Beyerdynamics mentioned earlier, along with NAD, Audeze, and others. MSRP generally ranges from about $300-500, but can often be found for less. The Audeze SINE series had some wireless options, but have been discontinued. The Audeze Mobius is a gaming headset and you need to be wired to get the most out of the gaming features, but it also has bluetooth.

How were you running your headphone cable? Might be able to come up with a solution to suspend the cable to keep you from running over it.

 

[MrSquished]

Another option that's much cheaper than the Amirons from Beyerdynamics is the Audio-Technica M50x-BT.

ATH-M50xBT

The ATH-M50xBT harnesses the legendary M50x studio sound for an exhilarating wireless listening experience, with exceptional clarity and deep, accurate bass response.Utilizing Bluetooth wireless t ...

www.audio-technica.com

I LIKE Beyerdynamics headphones...I just don't like some of their prices.

Yeah they can be pricey. I picked up the T90's 5 years ago for $500 after a big commission check. Probably shouldn't have splurged financially but I really have enjoyed them for many many hours for all types of music and gaming. I don't really have the issue some do with their brightness. It's detail to me.

Beyer is doing a strange thing these days. Their T1 3rd generation are supposedly quite dark. This is the opposite of the Beyer house sound. It makes no sense to not start a new model line if you are changing the sound so much.

Most people seem to think the T1.2 are their best work.

 

[BoomerD]

Right now all wireless headphones will be geared towards non-home use. At home they're just another closed back headphone. As far as I'm aware, active noise cancelling can be always be turned off. There are plenty of options which should sound good, but they're all closed-back, which just isn't to some people's liking.

Audio-Technica has a pretty wide range of wireless headphones running from about $70-300 MSRP. Some are just wireless versions of their more popular wired headphones. Most or all of those were already closed-back, so the sound should be the same.

Sony also has quite a few (~$60-350), many of which have been well received, but I can't wrap my head around the hierarchy of Sony's lineup. Multiple models at the same price, two apparently distinct lines (WH and MDR) but individual model numbers that don't clarify the hierarchy. Some have actually been rebranded from one line to the other. Most of the differences have to do with the sound profile and/or bass boost. You'll have to do some research. They also have a few models with RF base stations that also double as stands, and simulated surround.

Sennheiser has 6 or 7 in their current lineup (~$100-450), several of which have base stations transmitters/stands. The cheapest one I believe is actually open back but also on ear instead of around ear.

There are a number of higher end options like the Beyerdynamics mentioned earlier, along with NAD, Audeze, and others. MSRP generally ranges from about $300-500, but can often be found for less. The Audeze SINE series had some wireless options, but have been discontinued. The Audeze Mobius is a gaming headset and you need to be wired to get the most out of the gaming features, but it also has bluetooth.

How were you running your headphone cable? Might be able to come up with a solution to suspend the cable to keep you from running over it.

I'm currently using an Audio-Technica ATH-G1 wired gaming headset. From everything I could find, they are "ALMOST" identical to the M50X studio monitors. Same sound profile, same sound stage, ear cups, etc...but with a microphone. (which I don't use) Got them for a significant discount from the Amazon Warehouse. The cord is pretty long, so I used a small command hook attached to the side of my desk to hold the cable off the floor. It's not a "perfect" solution...but good enough for me...for now.

 

[sandorski]

Avoid RF based HPs, interference is a major issue with these. IMO. My time using a set of Sony (some Model in the $120-130US range) was like listening to a scratchy dusty Record with a somewhat regular Screech thrown in. Tolerable for Speech, but not enjoyable for Music.

Don't overlook Construction either, the above Audio Technica HPs sound good, but that hinge is a point of failure I have personal experience with on a set of ATH-M40x. If you never drop things and always use a HP Stand, this may never be an issue for you. Many other HP designs have Hinge/Earcup-Headband connection weaknesses...maybe I'm too rough on them, I have dropped most of them at least once....so.

 

[WAZ]

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. You've definitely helped send me in the right direction. I'm finally seeing stock photos of people enjoying listening to music at home instead of on trains. I don't know why I couldn't find headphones in this space -- it just seemed like my options were either for gaming or being on-the-go. Both of which I'm sure have great headphones/headsets that would also sound fine for music, but full of features (super noise canceling and flashy gaming features) that I'm never going to use. So directing me towards the Beyerdynamics and Audio Technicas has been VERY helpful. The Beyers might be a bit out of my price range for now but the M50xBT's look pretty good. And again at least now I'm finding comparable cans in this space, which had eluded my searches before. I appreciate it!

 

[MrSquished]

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. You've definitely helped send me in the right direction. I'm finally seeing stock photos of people enjoying listening to music at home instead of on trains. I don't know why I couldn't find headphones in this space -- it just seemed like my options were either for gaming or being on-the-go. Both of which I'm sure have great headphones/headsets that would also sound fine for music, but full of features (super noise canceling and flashy gaming features) that I'm never going to use. So directing me towards the Beyerdynamics and Audio Technicas has been VERY helpful. The Beyers might be a bit out of my price range for now but the M50xBT's look pretty good. And again at least now I'm finding comparable cans in this space, which had eluded my searches before. I appreciate it!

This is another option. I had the Mk1 version of this and it was very good. Used to use it around the house mostly and on some walks. Was highly regarded in the head-fi community. To be used with wired cans.

ES100 MK2 Bluetooth Receiver (+HE100 Earphones for free!)

24bit Bluetooth receiver designed to deliver studio-quality sound through your ears WIRELESS - using your existing wired headphones, earphones or even speakers. Dimension 1 x 2 x 0.5 inch / Weight 20g / 14 hours of continuous playback / Dedicated app featured with 10 band EQ and Ambient mode /...

earstudio.store

You can pair that with these cans - they are sold as gaming cans but not really, as they have no built in mic or any gimmicky gamer features whatsoever, it's just a marketing thing. Ultimately they are just good cans. Also they are open backed, which if you can use those in your home, have a nicer soundstage vs closed headphones. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/beyerdynamic-tygr-300-r

 

[BoomerD]

This is another option. I had the Mk1 version of this and it was very good. Used to use it around the house mostly and on some walks. Was highly regarded in the head-fi community. To be used with wired cans.

ES100 MK2 Bluetooth Receiver (+HE100 Earphones for free!)

24bit Bluetooth receiver designed to deliver studio-quality sound through your ears WIRELESS - using your existing wired headphones, earphones or even speakers. Dimension 1 x 2 x 0.5 inch / Weight 20g / 14 hours of continuous playback / Dedicated app featured with 10 band EQ and Ambient mode /...

earstudio.store

You can pair that with these cans - they are sold as gaming cans but not really, as they have no built in mic or any gimmicky gamer features whatsoever, it's just a marketing thing. Ultimately they are just good cans. Also they are open backed, which if you can use those in your home, have a nicer soundstage vs closed headphones. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/beyerdynamic-tygr-300-r

They match those headphones with a decent desk mic as the "Team Tygr bundle." $299 just about everywhere right now.