Earlier this week, I asked you guys to nominate the best over-ear Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation that don’t cost a pretty penny. Collectively, we have failed. I notably excluded the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 based on that criteria despite the fact you can regularly grab ‘em for cheap.
Sorry, don’t have a suggestion on the Bluetooth adapter, but I wanted to point out that since the Sony WH-1000XM3s have been out for awhile, they are often found for a low cost.
However, they aren’t Bluetooth 5.0 (Bluetooth 4.2), but they do have apt-X HD support. - philipjphry
Allow me to explain: I wanted to spur suggestions for lesser-known models, as this duo is widely pushed as the gold standard for ANC in this form factor, so I used the MSRP in hopes to eliminate them from consideration. Many popular retailers still list them that high, but alas, the co-opopulace (we’re making that a thing, and I don’t want to hear another word of it) has spoken. The Sony WH-1000XM3, whether on a hot steal brand-new-in-box or refurbished, are the best pair of Bluetooth ANC headphones you can at this price.
I actually think the WH-1000XM3s aren’t that great. I recently got a pair to replace my Plantronics Backbeat pro 2 that had gotten ratty. I used the Sony for a week before buying a new pair of the Backbeats because the sound quality just wasn’t as good and the noise cancelling wasn’t noticeably better.
The Plantronics are also MUCH more comfortable with a better build quality, they can connect to several devices at once and i’ve never had a problem connecting them to a device. - flyboy87
I picked these because they are:
- Bluetooth 5
- Support AptX LL
- Charge VIA USB-C
- Over ear and are large enough cups to fit my massive ears
- Have pretty decent noise cancellation, BUT ALSO have listen through mode where you can quickly turn on outside noise and keep it on! Very important for multiplayer games or conference calls so you can hear yourself talk.
The only thing lacking is battery life, which is around 17-20 hours in practice for me. The do support audio over USB-C while charging so you don’t have to stop listening when charging.
But above everything else, I chose the Sennheiser Momentum 3 headphones FOR THE SOUND QUALITY!
I used to rock a pair of Sennheiser Drop 58x Jubilee headphones and i sold those because these sound really close to it, even those these are completely closed cans. Compared to the top of the line Bose or Sony, this BASS sounds natural and how it is supposed to sound in songs from Metallica to Travis Scott. Bose and Sony are way too boomy and fake sounding, particularly with their NC turned on. - jerkstore58
I love my Jabra 85H. Being able to connect to my 2 devices at the same time is a game changer. Laptop and phone at the same time; taking calls on my laptop then auto switch back to my music on my phone.
I combined the headset with a Jabra Link 370 dongle connected to my laptop to ensure a solid connection when making/taking calls.
ANC is great on these cans too and also like the hear-through feature so I can keep my headphone on and still hear my surroundings. So I can hear baby cry for me when he is done with his nap. - orangedrink
Sony WH-H900N: great sound, great noise cancelling, great ergonomics, great battery, AptX., very durable and reliable, way too comfortable. Does not do USB-C nor Bluetooth 5.0. - DaffyDuck
Honestly, I got the TaoTronics TT-BH085 when y’all had the deal going on a month or two ago, and they are pretty comparable to the QC35IIs I got for my wife right when those came out. Build quality is excellent, sound quality is good, wireless performance is good, sound canceling is good. They are not equal, but they are fantastic. - atxishome