Recommended Headphones

Headphones enhance the interaction you have with your computer/tablet/phone which is why it is important to choose the right pair for yourself. You will most likely be using them for an extended period of time which is why I think it is worth taking the time to look at the different options.

This post contains a lot of information on choosing the correct headphones but in short, my recommendation is that it is worth spending money on them. Depending on what you do it may be worth buying headphones in the $500+ range but you can get a good pair for $350. My recommendation is the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones which you can get on Amazon.

The items I recommend are to help you save money because it is better to spend money on quality items rather than having to always spend money on items that underperform or break.

Why I Chose the Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones

The first thing I look for when choosing headphones is the quality. These provided me with excellent quality especially since I like to listen to a wide variety of music. For instance, these headphones do a great job at handling music with bass.

I have tried many headphones that claim to be noise canceling but these headphones really excel in that category. When I put these on they block out most of the noise outside of them. It has a convenient feature where if you cup your hand around the right headphone it will disable the noise canceling feature. This is very convenient if you are trying to talk to someone else or listen to outside noises. They also have a button on the left headphone that allows you to turn the noise canceling effect on and off. I find myself having to use this to hear others because of how great the noise canceling is on these.

These headphones come with a good amount of padding to make it comfortable on your head. They put padding all around the headphones and I found this leads to less fatigue when wearing them for long periods of time. The metal band within the headphones is pretty thin which also reduces fatigue.

A full charge will give you 30 hours of battery life. When they run out of charge though they go from 0 to 5 hours within 10 minutes which is amazing. That is phenomenal and I find myself never feeling restricted by battery life since I know I can quick charge them.

These headphones do have a few flaws though. The right headphone is used as the main controls such as skipping music, pausing music and controlling volume. To do this though you have to use a swiping motion. For example to increase the volume you have to use a finger and just swipe up or down on the headphone to change the volume. This can get a bit annoying though when you have to swipe up or down a few times to get the volume to your liking.

Another flaw is that these headphones were made with Bluetooth 4 and not Bluetooth 5 which I talk about in this post. To name a few of its benefits is that it can connect quicker to devices and hold a connection from a further distance. Bluetooth 4 is still great but I wish they could have future proofed these headphones.

Other than that though I find myself really enjoying these headphones and that the pros far outweigh the cons for me.

Traveling With These Headphones

These headphones come with a hard travel case that will protect them while in your bag. They do not take up too much space in a bag making them a great choice for all types of commutes that require a bag such as walking to school/work or putting them in a carry-on bag for a flight.

Another convenience for traveling with these headphones is that I can wear them for long durations of time. I noticed that I can wear them for 4-5 hours at a time and feel fine afterward. I have never had to wear them longer than this but feel that I would not have a problem doing so.

Alternative Headphones To Consider

Bose is a reputable brand that creates headphones with well-balanced instrumentals and noise canceling abilities. A great option from them would be there Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones II.

Jaybird makes headphones specifically for working out. I own a pair and they work great. The Jaybird x4 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for Sport work great for working out. They come with a wire to keep them both connected. If you are looking for the completely wireless option you can pay a couple more dollars for the Jaybird Run headphones.

The Jaybird headphones come with rubber and foam inner ear buds. By default, they come with the rubber earbuds on them, but I would recommend putting on the foam earbuds. The foam earbuds seal better within your ears and offer a better audio experience. When you are working out there is a less chance of them slipping out also. In my experience, the default rubber pieces did not stay in my ear as well and would fall out at times.

I would recommend buying extra of the foam earpieces if you decide to go with the Jaybirds. Over time they will fall apart but getting replacements will not cost you much. I have had to replace mine only once so far.

HyperX creates headphones for gaming. They sponsor top players in the gaming industry and are great for people that enjoy playing recreationally as well. A great choice is the HyperX Cloud Alpha Gaming Headsets. If you are more serious about gaming and need something to keep up with more competitive players then I would recommend the HyperX Cloud Revolver Headphones.

HyperX provides wireless headphones as well. HyperX Cloud Mix Gaming Headset comes with wireless bluetooth and a wire so that they can be converted back to a wired option. These headphones come with a wire so they can also be converted to wired headphones.

The great thing about these headphones is that they do a good job at playing music as well. I use mine to listen to music while I am gaming and I have an enjoyable experience every time.

Features To Look For In Headphones

  • Over the ear headphones versus in-ear headphones
  • Comfort around or in your ears
  • The quality of the sound of your headphones
  • Headphones that are made specifically with Bass Boosting versus neutral instrumentals all around
  • Noise Cancelling Ability
  • Ability to travel around with them

My suggestion would be to go into a store to try on headphones yourself before you buy them off the internet. A lot of tech stores usually have headphones on display with a pre-selected playlist.

Maintaing Your Headphones

A great way to maintain your headphones is by getting a headphone stand. This is because you can avoid collapsing them when putting them away. Collapsing your headphones too many times can wear out the hinges that collapse them. It is best to only collapse them when you need to travel with them.