Ask HN: Which headphones do you use while working?

[excitednumber]

I have used the Shure 215 (https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SE215-K-Isolating-Earphones-MicroDriver/dp/B004PNZFZ8) for a number of years. The ability to replace the cable has saved me a number of times and the headphones still work/sound great.

I am curious to know what others use especially for noise cancellation. The Shure 215 are not noise-cancelling but do significantly block.

[rajeshp1986]

I was skeptical about high end headphones till now. My wife gifted me a Bose Quiet comfort 35 last week and initially I was mad at her for spending so much but I can confidently say that they are "The best" headphones if you are coding. The design is great and fits perfectly on ears. I can wear them for long hours. I couldn't bear any headphones for more than 1 hour continuously before and always thought there is something wrong with my ear shape.

I am glad to find these headphones. You should definitely try these without bothering about price. The price will look small when you start using them. If they allow you to go into Deep Work and focus on whatever you are doing then the price pays off!

[laurieg]

I advise people to give noise cancelling headphones like these a try for 30 minutes to an hour before spending a lot of money on them. I found the noise cancellation feature causes a pressure like feeling on my ears that was very uncomfortable and I could not wear the headphones for extended periods.

[JimmyAustin]

Can't agree more with the Bose QC35 suggestion. My team of 8 went from 0 users to 5 users in under three months. Absolutely amazing.

[coryfklein]

I use the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro. Noise cancelling really only works for static noises (like air conditioning, engine roar), which can actually make workspace noise like talking and voices stand out more.

In-ear headphones don't provide enough comfort for extended listening day in day out, so over-ear headphones are the best choice IMO.

Anything of good build quality in the $150+ price range is likely worthwhile, assuming you don't go for the overmarketed brands like Beats. I chose the DT 770 Pro because they are studio-quality, meant to last, and Beyerdynamics even supplies repair parts. They are meant to last through heavy use while providing studio level sound quality.

[ericzawo]

I have to concur. I picked up DT 880's in near new condition from someone for about $200 two summers ago. The seller listed them as the 250 ohm version but according to the end of the cord I discovered they're in fact the 600 ohm version. A happy coincidence, as I already had a DAC and amplifier setup for my computer to adequately drive them.

They can be worn all day. My girlfriend referred to them as head pillows. The main downside is, being semi-open, these headphones make no apologies for their clear, audible sound leak, even at sensible volumes. But paired with an amp and DAC, they sound glorious. I've used headphones and monitor speakers nearly five times what I paid, which do expose the warmth and slightly punchier-than-neutral nature of my Beyerdynamic cans, but they're fantastic for enhancing virtually all listening experiences, music or otherwise (games!).

[skylark]

This doesn't match my experience at all. Bose noise cancelling is excellent and completely blocks out my coworkers' voices.

At home I use Beyers and Sennheisers because I enjoy the audio quality, but at work these headphones are as essential to me as my keyboard and mouse.

[anotheryou]

Same here. Watch out for the various versions with different impedance. I have the 80ohm version and on some devices I'm slightly limited in volume. I'd say 80ohms is alright thugh, just don't get the models with higher ohm numbers.

AKGs have a more roomy sound (doesn't sound like the band plays in your head), but for really good overall sound quality you have to get the models that are priced at least 100 bucks more. The half open beyerdynamics might also be an option, but they bleed sound more and block noise less.

[ddorian43]

Try my earphones from my comment in the thread and maybe you'll like them.

[oftenwrong]

I use the same ones. They are very comfortable and tough, but a bit heavy, so I don't wear them for extended periods of time. I prefer to work without music most of the time, anyway.

[dharma1]

At home I like Sennheiser HD-650, but being open back headphones they leak quite a bit of sound in and out. For the office (and commute) I just bought the Sony MDR-1000x - the noise canceling is very good, better than Sennheiser Momentum or Bose.

I like IEM's for the size but in terms of comfort not so much.

For those on a tight budget, best value headphones I've used are Soundmagic e10 IEM's and Superlux HD681 Evo closed back headphones, for about £25 each they are great.

[Philomath]

I also have the Bose QuietComfort 30 and I've been using them every day for everything, not only work. I am super happy with how comfortable they are, and while I don't think the noise cancelling is really important working from home, I really enjoy it when I am in a noisy enviroment.

[jfensch]

Audio Technica ATH-50X with velour replacement pads. Blocks a fair bit of noise while remaining cool.

[softwarefounder]

It's great to see such in-depth answers here.

I simply use some cheap skull candy earbuds. The important thing to me is earbuds. They almost never leak sound, and can easily drown out surrounding noise at mid-volume.

[iKnowKungFoo]

Beats Studio Wireless (latest edition). The noise-cancelling is so good that I can't tell when somoenee has walked up to talk to me. On planes it manages to cancel out nearly all engine noise. The bluetooth connection is great and works over a surprising distance, this allows me to wander about my office as I'm pondering a problem. Had an issue with the original pair I purchased where the left ear got disconnected after a few months. Apple sent me a replacement pair and haven't had any other issues since then.

[19eightyfour]

Bose QC 35. I wish the noise cancellation was adjustable and better. I mean it is good. But I'm one of those people who actually wants to be encased in a cocoon of total silence any time I choose.

Some examples. Sitting outside in a noisy cafe, with NC and white noise playing: zero background noise.

Same setup without a track playing, only NC: I can hear everything, but it's just quieter. Voices, cars still there. Not acceptable.

The way I interpreted the promise of NC was it would actually play the inverse wave and cancel everything. I don't understand why some sound gets through. And I feel cheated.

I don't think my expectation was unrealistic because it was based on the following episode. I was on a plane and the Qatari American guy next to me chatted to me about films. When our conversation died he started watching movies, with some huge black headphones. I asked him about them. And he told me they were NC and asked if I'd like to try. I put them on, then he pushed one button on the side and whsp! Every noise disappeared! The plane engine was gone. He kept talking but it was gone too. It was literally a religious moment for me. I glimpsed another world I didn't know existed. I never knew I could end all the noise. So naturally I had to get myself a pair. I asked what they were and he said Bose QC. They were from a few years ago. So you see I thought I'd found something I could trust.

At Yodobashi Camera I was so excited to buy my QC 35. But when I used them, I could not rationalise away my disappointment. It was qualitatively different. On the plane those headphones had clearly put my ears in a pressurized bubble. Of total silence. But the QC 35 was just like God had turned the world volume down a third of the way. Really not good enough.

So now I still wear them, but I'm always playing tracks. At least I've discovered Spotify. But I still think I'd much rather prefer, the Total Noise Cancellation my first experience promised. Now sometimes I even go back and question the trustworthiness the guy who introduced me to NC such is the magnitude of the difference between my expectation and the reality. Did that Qatari American guy trick me? Did he just start mouthing silently as soon as he pressed the NC button? Or did that NC tech really cut everything? And if the tech was legit, did Qatar or 2014 get better NC tech than Japan or 2017? Why has Bose foresaken me?

[scherzo]

Bose (and other NC headphones) can only cancel repetitive noise. It can only send an opposite sound wave at the right amplitude and frequency at the right time to cancel another if it knows ahead of time what to send out. So airplane noise, traffic, airconditioning, servers whirring. I find that in airplanes it actually allows me to hear the cabin attendants better, as the drone is cut, but the voices are not. It's why they are not that great a solution in an open office.

The isolation you are looking for you can achieve with ear defenders. Put them over in ear headphones, and you won't hear anything else but your music.

[gaspoweredcat]

Etymotic er4p with a custom null audio cable and ACS custom eartips, this is not noise cancelling, it's total blockage, when you have music playing someone can stand in front of you shouting at full volume and you won't hear anything but your tunes

Although ACS no longer make custom eartips there are other places that do such as snugz, without doubt custom tips are the single best upgrade you can buy for your sound

[camflan]

I agree, getting ACS molds for my ER4p is one of my favorite audio purchases. All day comfort + maximum isolation

[nilidah]

These really need more attention. Best iems I've used :D.

[seanwilson]

> The ability to replace the cable has saved me a number of times and the headphones still work/sound great.

I couldn't switch back from using bluetooth headphones. Once you get used to the wire not getting in the way and how you can walk around without having to take your headphones off, wired headphones just feel awkward. When you can get ones with 40 hours battery life then that isn't an issue either.

[e_py]

AKG K845bt. These are my first bt headphones and I can tell you that they make a difference. I was skeptical about bt headphones but the freedom you get with them will change your mind.

About sound quality there is no doubts about AKG, in my opinion one of the best brands out there.

In reference to the price.. yes they are expensive compared to other headphones but for someone who uses them more than 5h a day.. I think they pay off

[RUG3Y]

I have HyperX Cloud headphones, they're a gaming headset. The mic has nice quality sound, I use it a lot for conferencing. The sound is balanced (a lot of gaming headsets are bass heavy, these are not) and most importantly, they're very, very comfortable. I can wear them all day no problem.

[zhte415]

None. I find a quiet place for things that require concentration, indeed there are quiet areas for this otherwise private areas exist, work from home, or otherwise enjoy an open-plan office format when collaboration is prioritised.

Pushing for this shouldn't be underrated.

[sushid]

I would highly recommend Bose QC20 in ear. I have the over ear version and while mine may excel in the noise cancellation department, the QC20 beats mine out of the water in terms of noise blocking overall.

[bjourne]

I've been using Bose QuietComfort 15 for years. Unfortunately, something has broken in them so they aren't as good at noice cancellation as they were when I bought them.

[iDemonix]

At home I use Sennheiser HD600s, often through my Marantz PM60005 amp, or a portable Fiio amp. If I'm at work I just Sennheiser Momentums, over-ear kind.

The HD600s are brilliant for gaming, music and movies, but obviously are open backed so are no good for a busy office. I find in games, people often complain they couldn't hear me coming, but I could hear them! The sound quality is amazing and I don't think I'd ever replace them, unless they broke - in which case I'd either buy more or try HD650s.

The momentums are great for travelling and this morning I actually bought my other half a pair of the folding on-ear versions for travelling and being away from home.

[camflan]

Working at home lets me use speakers or open headphones most of the time, so Hifiman 400i, but when I need isolation I use either Oppo PM-3 or Etymotic ER4p

[hector_ka]

Spracht Konf-X with noise cancelling. $79.99 .Way cheaper than Bose, and very comfortable for me . I also use them when flying.

[1123581321]

Velodyne vQuiet. They're not the best, but they periodically go on sale for $30 and they're very good for that price.

[ddorian43]

I use Panasonic Ergofit earbuds: http://www.ebay.com/itm/322284263220?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.... (really ergonomic, have kept them for 12+ hours/day (fell asleep))

Also have Sennheiser 380 Pro but am looking for something that blocks a lot more.