Talk me out of it... Bose headphones.

[COEE]

Hey folks... talk me out of it... I'm standing on the edge of a cliff and I'm about to jump (metaphorically speaking).

I want these badly: https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Wireless-Headphones-Cancelling/dp/B01E3SNO3E?th=1  Despite the name brand hype - Bose headphones are the best sounding headphones I've ever worn.  And this one has all of the bells and whistles.  noise-cancelling, bluetooth, wired option, over-ear, etc.  I will say the bass at high volume distorts just a tad, but it's bearable.  I would like for the volume to get just a tad louder as well.

I have saved up for these.  I continue to put about $50 in a 'blow fund' every month.  I currently have about $500 in said fund.  This fund is for me to buy whatever I want.  But this is a bit of a horse-pill to me for whatever reason.  I do have $100 gift card to amazon to help cancel out some of the cost.  There is also a Bose outlet store near me and they told me they have the same unit, but factory refurb for $315.  I figure after taxes - it will cost me about the same amount at either location (~$350).  I could buy the set at the outlet and still have a $100 gift card to amazon - which is what I'm leaning towards.

These are a little bit cheaper but don't offer a wireless option - although they don't seem to distort at all - outputting a cleaner sound.  These were probably the best sounding to me, but lack of wireless is a deal breaker for me, I think.  https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Acoustic-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B00M1NEUKK/ref=sr_1_4?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1486387671&sr=1-4&keywords=bose+quietcomfort+15

These were very good as well and offered wireless functionality but not noise cancelling.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0117RGG8E/ref=twister_B01540I7BY?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1.  They are $180 on a factory refurb at the local outlet store.  They don't have noise cancelling, but they do have pretty good muffs and can block noise pretty well.  The sound was very good on these also.  These might be the best option for me - a compromise between cost and functionality.

This is a very small percentage of my NW, but it's still not zero.  It's something I've been wanting for nearly 8 months now.  I've been continuing to chew the fat on this purchase.  Going back and forth a lot.  SO says I should just do it and enjoy them and quit hemming and hawing.  But my mustachian side keeps telling me this is dumb and another $35 set from target would last me another 10 years - although the quality won't be there.  I haven't spent this much coin on anything in a long, long time. 

These will mostly be used at work where there are a lot of conversations, loud HVAC fans, printers, etc.  So I do think it will help me concentrate more at work.

Thoughts?

[gpotter]

I, too, want a pair of these. My job is requiring more and more travel and all the cool kids have them. The thought of detaching from the world during my flights is intoxicating. I've held off all last fall, and throughout Christmas, but I still want them.

[yodella]

So...this is not going to be the response you were looking for. But, THOSE HEADPHONES ARE WONDERFUL AND AMAZING, and I know because I am wearing them right now (listening to the soundtrack for Dear Evan Hansen, for anyone who's wondering).

I too struggled with the price tag, but after having used them for about 3 months now, I don't regret a single penny.

I wear them maybe 4 hours per day (while working), five days per week. The people at Bose are basically magicians.

Like you, I keep a certain amount of money that I have total freedom to spend on whatever I want, and honestly these headphones are probably my favorite/most useful purchase I've ever made with that money. 

[NoStacheOhio]

I'm personally not a fan of Bose headphones, they're way too bassy for me. I've been a musician all my life, and I currently work in video production.

Do you actually need active noise cancelling? Wireless?

I don't particularly like either technology, mostly because they both require power supply, which means more batteries and weight. The noise cancelling can also introduce distortion, and I just don't like the sensation.

Have you tried normal, closed back headphones? I have Sennheiser HD280s and 380s, and Audio-Technica M50s (all freebies or work-provided). They all give good isolation, and nice neutral sound for less money. The other option would be an in-ear monitor type setup. It's like an earplug with headphones. I don't find them particularly comfortable, but some people like them. Shure makes some decent ones for not a lot of money.

The 380s are probably the most comfortable of those three (for me, anyway). Newegg has a refurb for $99: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA18T42U0218&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-MI+-+Live+Sound+Wireless+Systems-_-9SIA18T42U0218&gclid=CO2Q6avV-9ECFYU0aQodgWQA-g&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Bliss]

So...this is not going to be the response you were looking for. But, THOSE HEADPHONES ARE WONDERFUL AND AMAZING, ...

+1

I use my headphones everyday to listen to music and cancel out noise while I work. My frequent airplane flights became so much more relaxing after I could eliminate the noises made by those surrounding me. Heaven!!

Best purchase of my life!!!

[GoingConcern]

I also own a pair and they are amazing headphones especially for regular air travelers.

However, if you wanted to save some money I would recommend getting the older models on ebay for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the newer model ones.  Not sure if the sound difference is worth $100-$150 more. 

edit:

NVM I see you are interested in bluetooth models.  In that case the older models are not an option unless you want to make your own DIY bluetooth set. 

[brute]

Unfortunately, I can't talk you out of them. I just bought something similar for my wife. They were wired though and a previous generation, so a little cheaper. She loves the, especially when her coworkers are playing music loudly on their crappy headphones.

[aceyou]

I'm not a huge music guy and have always used $1 earbuds from the dollar store. 

This Christmas I "won" a $20 pair of sony headphones.  Turns out they are like 20x's nicer than the dollar earbuds...go figure!

So, maybe use some dollarstore earbuds for a while and the Sony headphones will then sound like the New York Philharmonic in comparison???? 

Problem solved for $20!?!?

[Zoot]

Not even gonna try to talk you out of it.  I bought a pair of an earlier model ~10 years ago, and have never begrudged a penny of the purchase.  For me (a card-carrying introvert who is also hyper-sensitive to sensory stimuli), they make air travel so much more bearable (in the airport and on the plane).

[Gondolin]

Depends what you are using them for.

Noise cancelling headphones are GREAT for traveling. If you just need noise cancellation with decent sound, you don't need to buy a top end Bose product. I got a pair of Audio-Technicas on Amazon for $65-70. Great purchase, would recommend.

If you're an audiophile who demands a certain aural performance, then you'll have to blow a couple hundred bucks and pay for the high end stuff.

[GuitarStv]

If you're mostly interested in noise cancelling, pick up a pair of drumming headphones for about 60$.  Drummers use them to listen to music while practicing without going deaf.  They're basically the same kind of noise proof headphones that you would use for construction work but with audio capabilities.

I've been using a pair of Vic Firth SIH1s for ages to do home recording (lets me listen to music without the sound bleeding into the tracks).  Sound quality is OK, not great . . . but the exterior noise reduction is very good.  I've used them at work too, and they do help me concentrate.

[DoubleDown]

You're not in debt, you've saved for it, you have significant NW, you've waited a long time to make sure it's not a passing fancy, you've done plenty of research. I'd say you've checked all the boxes and should go for it, as these would obviously bring you years of enjoyment. Buy them without guilt.

FWIW, many years ago my now-wife got me Bose earbuds. I would not have likely spent the money on such a purchase, but I sure learned something from it. They are so beyond anything else I've used in terms of quality, I would absolutely buy them again if they ever wear out. No other headphones or earbuds compare. The fidelity in music is just awesome.

[Livingthedream55]

You're not in debt, you've saved for it, you have significant NW, you've waited a long time to make sure it's not a passing fancy, you've done plenty of research. I'd say you've checked all the boxes and should go for it, as these would obviously bring you years of enjoyment. Buy them without guilt.

+1

[COEE]

You folks are not helping!

[2Birds1Stone]

Buy em! YOLO!

[Tetsuya Hondo]

I have two pairs of the Bose noise cancelling headphones, the ones that sit on your ears and the ones that are more like cans (but not quite that big - one for me, one for my wife). I've used them three times in the past year. Even on long flights (~14 hours), I rarely use them.

Some drawbacks:

• They can create a weird sensation in your ear. I don't like using them for long periods of time.
• They don't actually filter everything out. You'll still hear the drone of airplane engines and other noises (just softer - they're noise cancelling, not eliminating). If I'm not mistaken, they're actually designed so that you can still hear conversations, so they may not filter out all the office chatter that you want to do away with.
• When using them to watch a movie on a flight, the crew announcements break in about 100 decibels higher (slight hyperbole, but it feels like it). Every time it startles me and I end up ripping my headphones off to save my eardrums. I end up using the crappy airline headphones instead.

The upside is that they do sound good (to me anyway). However, since you are asking about this on an MMM forum, I would first check out less expensive options from Sony or Seinheiser [sic?]. I also wonder if the in-ear headphones my also do the trick for you. If I were you, I would only buy them if I did a ton of flying. In the office or just for enjoying music, there are likely better, cheaper options. It seems that the hard core audiophiles aren't all that impressed with them.

[acroy]

I'm personally not a fan of Bose headphones, they're way too bassy for me. I've been a musician all my life, and I currently work in video production.

Do you actually need active noise cancelling? Wireless?

I don't particularly like either technology, mostly because they both require power supply, which means more batteries and weight. The noise cancelling can also introduce distortion, and I just don't like the sensation.

Have you tried normal, closed back headphones? I have Sennheiser HD280s and 380s, and Audio-Technica M50s (all freebies or work-provided). They all give good isolation, and nice neutral sound for less money. The other option would be an in-ear monitor type setup. It's like an earplug with headphones. I don't find them particularly comfortable, but some people like them. Shure makes some decent ones for not a lot of money.

^^ what he said
I'm no musician, but been an audio nut for a loooong time. I like nice in-ear monitors. $50-100 buys a really nice set. Cheap, small, comfy (for me), great sound and built-in sound isolation. Bose is consumer-sucka stuff ;)

[Dollar Slice]

I'm personally not a fan of Bose headphones, they're way too bassy for me. I've been a musician all my life, and I currently work in video production.

Do you actually need active noise cancelling? Wireless?

I don't particularly like either technology, mostly because they both require power supply, which means more batteries and weight. The noise cancelling can also introduce distortion, and I just don't like the sensation.

Have you tried normal, closed back headphones? I have Sennheiser HD280s and 380s, and Audio-Technica M50s (all freebies or work-provided). They all give good isolation, and nice neutral sound for less money. The other option would be an in-ear monitor type setup. It's like an earplug with headphones. I don't find them particularly comfortable, but some people like them. Shure makes some decent ones for not a lot of money.

^^ what he said
I'm no musician, but been an audio nut for a loooong time. I like nice in-ear monitors. $50-100 buys a really nice set. Cheap, small, comfy (for me), great sound and built-in sound isolation. Bose is consumer-sucka stuff ;)

+1 to all this.

I'm an audio nerd who has owned (bought, sold, etc.) a ton of headphones and I prefer good-quality IEMs for travel. They block noise like earplugs do, so you don't need the expensive noise-canceling circuitry.

Bose were the first "good" quality headphones I ever bought, for the same reasons as you want them, and I really regretted the purchase later. I spent $150 on my pair. The sound was simply not true-to-life, and they didn't block as much noise as IEMs (which are cheaper and smaller and easier to travel with).

[Zoot]

Bose were the first "good" quality headphones I ever bought, for the same reasons as you want them, and I really regretted the purchase later. I spent $150 on my pair. The sound was simply not true-to-life, and they didn't block as much noise as IEMs (which are cheaper and smaller and easier to travel with).

I'm intrigued--can you provide a link to a set you'd recommend?

[Dollar Slice]

Bose were the first "good" quality headphones I ever bought, for the same reasons as you want them, and I really regretted the purchase later. I spent $150 on my pair. The sound was simply not true-to-life, and they didn't block as much noise as IEMs (which are cheaper and smaller and easier to travel with).

I'm intrigued--can you provide a link to a set you'd recommend?

I'm not really up on the latest and greatest, because I got a good set of IEMs and a good set of headphones years ago and have avoided reading anything about headphones since, so as to break the addiction... ;-)  You can't go too far wrong with brands like Sennheiser, AKG, Audio-Technica, Etymotic, and Shure (and you'll pay a bit of a premium for the name brand). I had a couple sets of Shures over the years that I liked very much. (I think the SE215s are similar to the ones I had.)

But if you look on head-fi.org or similar sites you can probably find the latest and greatest best-bang-for-the-buck IEMs, which are often brands I've never heard of.

[NoStacheOhio]

But if you look on head-fi.org or similar sites you can probably find the latest and greatest best-bang-for-the-buck IEMs, which are often brands I've never heard of.

Alternatively, you'll get sucked into a rabbit hole and start wondering how you ever got by without a separate DAC and tube amp. ;)

[lemonlyman]

I got these when they were $88:
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDRXB950BT-Extra-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00MCHE38O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486411249&sr=8-3&keywords=sony+mdrxb950bt

They're pretty good but not great. Wireless, but no noise cancellation. I really wanted the pair you're looking at, but I don't travel very often. The Sony's are good enough for the office and walking to work.

I talked myself out of the Bose QC35, but I probably wouldn't regret having them if I hadn't.

[geekette]

I have a pair of Audio-technica that I bought almost 10 years ago for long flights since I find the engine drone particularly wearing. I find they work great on constant noise like engines, fans, motors, but make talking easier to hear. Has noise canceling changed such that it can block out conversations now?

Mine take a single AAA battery. Sadly, I left it in once and it corroded so the noise canceling no longer works :-(. I dug them out, figured out how to take the ear pads off, and am hoping to be able to clean them up and get them working again.

[Dollar Slice]

But if you look on head-fi.org or similar sites you can probably find the latest and greatest best-bang-for-the-buck IEMs, which are often brands I've never heard of.

Alternatively, you'll get sucked into a rabbit hole and start wondering how you ever got by without a separate DAC and tube amp. ;)

That's why I didn't go there and get a URL! I have a USB DAC/amp around here somewhere. No tubes, though!

[NoStacheOhio]

Random tidbit: if you're in the Cleveland/Akron area, Audio-Technica has a factory sale right around Thanksgiving every year. Huge discounts on brand new items. It's a bit of a madhouse, but well worth the effort. I picked up a pair of noise canceling headphones for $20, and a pro-grade wireless mic kit for like $200 (IIRC).

I also kicked myself for not buying the audiophile headphones they had, two pair @ $250 under the used prices online. Could've been easy money!

[ltt]

My husband travels for business quite a bit and bought some of the Bose headphones specifically for noise cancellation.  He loves them!!

[Johnez]

Went with etymotic hf3. This was mainly to block the sound of pneumatic staple guns as I was building sofas. The design kept em in my ears pretty good, the sound was impressive. Bonus-didn't look or feel like a weirdo who spent a butt load of money on headphones, these guys are very low profile.

I say if you have the money, spend it.

[Slee_stack]

I'm not a Bose fan, but they still are tops in NC.

IEMs are absolutely cheaper, but as someone who just isn't comfortable wearing IEMs for long, I can empathize with a preference for Over the Ear headphones instead.

Some good noise - isolating (not ANC) headphones have similar comfort problems...often too much clamping force.  Those are worse than IEMs for me.

That said, I still wouldn't pony up for the QC35 unless I was really going to be using them almost daily.  That's just me though.

For work I have an old set of harmans which sound nice but don't isolate real well and also get uncomfortable after an hour or two.  I use them a couple times a week.

I also have some $30 Philips NCs (for travel) that I've been meaning to try in the office.  They probably work to about 1/2 the noise level reduction of a Bose, but that's good enough....for now.

I'm a big NC fan though..even with the price of degraded sound.  I'd rather listen to slightly lower quality at lower overall volume than the opposite.  I already have minor tinnitus.  I don't want any more.

[canadian bacon]

Audio Technica ATH-M50 (or M50x)

Great Headphones.   Over the ears makes them super quiet.   These are pro studio headphones.   Balanced sound...  Much cheaper than the Bose.

[Shor]

I got a pair of ear buds. $3. They play sound. Still going strong.

Does the airplane hum make you nauseous, irritated, pukey? No, it doesn't? Then put your fat wallet back in to your designer jean pocket, and step away slowly :D

[RWD]

I'll second the recommendations to go for something else. Bose is overpriced. We have a couple pairs of Shure headphones which sound amazing for about a third the cost or less. Sennheiser also makes great stuff.

[gggggg]

I'm sorry but I can't help you at all, as I'm a sucker for Bose. All the speakerish things in my house are Bose, and always have been. Some things are worth their price, if they connect with you and make you happy.

[Optimiser]

I'm always amazed at the number of people on this board who encourage others to buy expensive luxuries. I know the demographics are heavily skewed toward high earners, but still.

I'm sure they are very nice headphones, but personally I'm happy to keep using my $20 Panasonic earbuds and put the rest toward financial independence. I have been thinking about dropping $80 on a pair of Sony MDR 7506 headphones, but haven't been able to justify the cost when my existing earbuds keep working.

[RWD]

I'm always amazed at the number of people on this board who encourage others to buy expensive luxuries. I know the demographics are heavily skewed toward high earners, but still.

I'm sure they are very nice headphones, but personally I'm happy to keep using my $20 Panasonic earbuds and put the rest toward financial independence. I have been thinking about dropping $80 on a pair of Sony MDR 7506 headphones, but haven't been able to justify the cost when my existing earbuds keep working.

Budget Sennheiser headphones: $25. High quality stuff doesn't have to be expensive.
http://a.co/3P4gWLQ

[Mezzie]

Those are in my "saved for later" cart, so I'm no help.

I do have some $50 noise-cancelling headphones that I got for $25 and are perfectly functional (though I've had to use superglue a few times to keep them that way). Mostly I listen to podcasts while I work out, partly to make me want the fancy headphones less.

[Erica]

If they can be used to exercise regularly, that will automatically pay for itself.

[vodsonic]

If you're going to spend a lot of time on airplanes or in other environments saturated with loud, continuous noise, the Bose noise-cancelling phones are hard to beat. In-ear monitors (exotic earbuds, some of which have active noise cancelling) are also a good option, but I prefer an over-the-ear design as some low frequency roar is transmitted to your ear by the cranial plate behind the ear.

I wouldn't mess with wireless models and their added signal degradation unless you had an extremely specific need for this - such as walking around on a factory floor or in a wood shop listening to an audio source from a parked laptop - and even then, you'd run into distance limitations with bluetooth or whatever wireless technology they use. For me personally, wireless is definitely a little too much technology to break or go wrong. I prefer a cable run inside my shirt to the iPod in my pocket.

If I were starting out on headphones with your budget, I'd buy a used pair of last-year's-model Bose wired noise-cancelling headphones, and use the difference on a high-quality, simple wired headphone set like the Sony MDR-7506, to use at my desk and at home. These are industry-standard for location sound and video production, and they offer an excellent-sounding, foldable design for under $100 street price last time I checked. These are great for dedicated music listening, unless you want to wade through the snake oil of high-end hi-fi to find something that really gives you that last 2-3% of sonic icing, or if you prefer cartoonish levels of bass like the Beats brand (I find cartoonish bass a bit like cartoonish cosmetic surgical "enhancement" - meh).

Noise-cancelling phones do degrade the signal, so the only time mine see much use is on airplanes, where they degrade it much less than the roar of the engines otherwise would.

Just my 2 cents as a sound engineer and avid music listener.

[StachelessNicholas]

I have these and they are fantastic. They are expensive but I work in a loud office and wear them 6-8 hours a day, every day. If you will use them enough to justify the cost, they are worth it.

[COEE]

Okay,

I suppose that I should offer up some more info and refine the requirements.  I really appreciate the recommendations, but they have diverged a bit from what I'm really looking for.  I'm open to other recommendations - but wanted to narrow them down a bit.

#1 requirement - I absolutely must have wireless capability.  A wired option is a bonus.  I'm a electrical engineer - I spend most of my time running back and forth between my cube and my workbench.  Both environments can be noisy in different ways.  The first usually has a lot of people chatting where the second can have many fans going and be somewhat loud.  Right now my lab and workbench are about 20 ft away from each other - but that could change. 

#2 no in ear monitors - I don't particularly like things in my ears - my last pair of bluetooth headphones (Motorola S10-HD) were similar - and I'm a bit over them.  Smaller headphones also tend to offer very tinny high and little base - although I'll admit that I've never tried truly hi-end equipment.  I did like that I could sleep with my last pair.

#3 - noise cancelling is desired, but not required.

#4 - I have a strong desire to try before I buy.  I have a tough time putting money down if I can't try it first.  Bose has a store that I can go try the cans at.

#5 - On-ear or over-ear

I was an audio engineer in the past - and I was told I have pretty good ears (at least at the time) by a fellow engineer with multiple platinum records on his wall.  I trust my ears when I say I like the Bose headphones.  I think this is extremely personal decision though... Each person's' ears and physiology are different.  I've never been an audiophile but I do like good sounding magnetics - and I've been fortunate to be spoiled in this regard over the years - at least in my past life.

Having said that, I'd be willing to try just about anything that I can get my hands on to try.  I do have some friends that have Sony's that meet my requirements so I could give them a shot.

Here's a few that I found on Amazon that I'd give a shot if I could get my hands on them.

A bit of a no-name brand:
https://www.amazon.com/Cancelling-Wireless-Bluetooth-Headphones-Microphone/dp/B019U00D7K/ref=sr_1_18?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1486436446&sr=1-18&keywords=bluetooth+headphones

https://www.amazon.com/B%C3%96HM-Bluetooth-Cushioned-Headphones-Cancelling/dp/B01F5S4BEC/ref=sr_1_13?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1486437134&sr=1-13&keywords=bluetooth+headphones

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-4-40-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B01MSZSJE9/ref=pd_sbs_23_15?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZWRK9VG62VBZ010XMCBH

[COEE]

These look very promising as well...
https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-S700BT-SonicFuel-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B015N52XDI/ref=pd_sbs_23_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5DWNFCDFFMHQ7W2FNQ8M

[vodsonic]

Both of these were options were wired, but I have first hand experience with them, and can compare them to similar Bose models.

My first set of noise-cancelling phones were Audio-Technicas. They sounded good, but leaked like crazy - everyone else traveling with me was regaled with whatever I happened to be listening to. They eventually died due to a common problem with the logic board.

Once bitten and twice shy, I replaced them with some JVC noise cancelling phones. Those were another budget option comparable to the A-Ts. They sounded decent, but got stolen. I wasn't enthused enough to buy them again, so sprang for my first (used) Bose model. Those are still going strong a few years down the line.

[StachelessNicholas]

I bought mine at Nordstrom and they have a pretty amazing return policy... great way to try them out!

[tavore]

What's the sound quality difference between Wired and Wireless? My understanding is that wireless is less pleasing to audiophiles. I would be seriously considering this Master & Dynamic MW60 set otherwise. In brown leather.

https://www.masterdynamic.com/products/mw60-wireless-over-ear-headphones?variant=8103518081

[Metric Mouse]

I'm personally not a fan of Bose headphones, they're way too bassy for me. I've been a musician all my life, and I currently work in video production.

Do you actually need active noise cancelling? Wireless?

I don't particularly like either technology, mostly because they both require power supply, which means more batteries and weight. The noise cancelling can also introduce distortion, and I just don't like the sensation.

Have you tried normal, closed back headphones? I have Sennheiser HD280s and 380s, and Audio-Technica M50s (all freebies or work-provided). They all give good isolation, and nice neutral sound for less money. The other option would be an in-ear monitor type setup. It's like an earplug with headphones. I don't find them particularly comfortable, but some people like them. Shure makes some decent ones for not a lot of money.

The 380s are probably the most comfortable of those three (for me, anyway). Newegg has a refurb for $99: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA18T42U0218&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-MI+-+Live+Sound+Wireless+Systems-_-9SIA18T42U0218&gclid=CO2Q6avV-9ECFYU0aQodgWQA-g&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm a big fan of custom-fit IEM's for applications like this, 4+ hours per day. Been out of the industry for too long to have kept up with modern offerings though - ATHM50s were pretty standard when I worked, nothing wrong with them.

[respond2u]

These will mostly be used at work where there are a lot of conversations, loud HVAC fans, printers, etc.  So I do think it will help me concentrate more at work.

Thoughts?

I can't believe how many people are saying to buy them. Wrong forum! This is Mr. Money Mustache. We should be advocating knitting sweaters out of dryer lint for God's sake.

Don't buy them. If your boss doesn't care enough about your productivity to give you a decent work environment, why should you?
Plus, regular headphones can pump in enough white noise, or that "easy listening" nature sounds stuff, to drown out the drones. [I'm not recommending listening to music you like since that is a distraction for many.]

The only way you could justify the expense is if you do lots of air travel and have some ear problems that don't allow you to use those simple ear plugs.
I know a jazz musician audiophile who flew several million miles on those ear plugs. He could have bought 4 or 5 Boses from the proceeds of each trip, but being frugal, he chose the ear plugs. (No, he didn't make a living off the jazz).

[pdxmonkey]

In ear monitors are awesome. Ear buds on the other hand suck and make my ears hurt. You might want to try a pair out of you never have m my in ear monitors have deeper bass than my Sennheiser over ear headphones. It's really quite amazing what a multiple armature OEM can do. In the same price range an iem is likely to give higher sound quality as an open or closed back set of cans. They're also much easier to travel with.

[lordmetroid]

I bought quite-comfort a couple of years ago. Best purchase I ever done. Flying has never been more pleasant when all that noise is blocked.

[LuxuryIsADrug]

Okay,

I suppose that I should offer up some more info and refine the requirements.  I really appreciate the recommendations, but they have diverged a bit from what I'm really looking for.  I'm open to other recommendations - but wanted to narrow them down a bit.

#1 requirement - I absolutely must have wireless capability.  A wired option is a bonus.  I'm a electrical engineer - I spend most of my time running back and forth between my cube and my workbench.  Both environments can be noisy in different ways.  The first usually has a lot of people chatting where the second can have many fans going and be somewhat loud.  Right now my lab and workbench are about 20 ft away from each other - but that could change. 

#2 no in ear monitors - I don't particularly like things in my ears - my last pair of bluetooth headphones (Motorola S10-HD) were similar - and I'm a bit over them.  Smaller headphones also tend to offer very tinny high and little base - although I'll admit that I've never tried truly hi-end equipment.  I did like that I could sleep with my last pair.

#3 - noise cancelling is desired, but not required.

#4 - I have a strong desire to try before I buy.  I have a tough time putting money down if I can't try it first.  Bose has a store that I can go try the cans at.

#5 - On-ear or over-ear

I was an audio engineer in the past - and I was told I have pretty good ears (at least at the time) by a fellow engineer with multiple platinum records on his wall.  I trust my ears when I say I like the Bose headphones.  I think this is extremely personal decision though... Each person's' ears and physiology are different.  I've never been an audiophile but I do like good sounding magnetics - and I've been fortunate to be spoiled in this regard over the years - at least in my past life.

Having said that, I'd be willing to try just about anything that I can get my hands on to try.  I do have some friends that have Sony's that meet my requirements so I could give them a shot.

Here's a few that I found on Amazon that I'd give a shot if I could get my hands on them.

A bit of a no-name brand:
https://www.amazon.com/Cancelling-Wireless-Bluetooth-Headphones-Microphone/dp/B019U00D7K/ref=sr_1_18?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1486436446&sr=1-18&keywords=bluetooth+headphones

https://www.amazon.com/B%C3%96HM-Bluetooth-Cushioned-Headphones-Cancelling/dp/B01F5S4BEC/ref=sr_1_13?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1486437134&sr=1-13&keywords=bluetooth+headphones

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-4-40-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B01MSZSJE9/ref=pd_sbs_23_15?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZWRK9VG62VBZ010XMCBH

1. You playing the music off your phone? You'll be a Bluetooth card/dongle if you want to pair the Bose Quiet Comfort 35s to your work PC. My Jaybird Freedoms (IEMs) easily work 20 ft away in the gym where there's plenty of metal in the signals path. I only notice loss of signal when I'm down a hallway ~30 ft away. This is when connected to only my phone. The Bose are using the same Bluetooth tech so you should see similar if not equal range.

2. In a work place environment over ears are the way to go. Easy to remove if you need to speak to someone and easy to put back on. I always have trouble with IEMs sealing well unless I take my time. (>15 seconds per ear...which is why custom molds are oh so much better and far more comfortable; my ear canals are also very small so IEMs and ear plugs literally don't fit)

3. Imo, being in a noisy environment is going to require noise cancellation and nothing beats Bose in that regard. It'll be difficult to isolate the drone off HVAC fans. Over-ear headphones underperform in this area compared to IEM, especially custom made ones. You won't be satisfied with those Sennheiser HD 4.40.

You also won't be tempted to raise the volume louder, potentially above safe listening levels, based on the current environment.

4. Check out any local, big or small, high end audio shops. They tend to have a headphone section. Shopping online? Don't feel bad about returning items if you do just want to try before you buy when online shopping. Headphone.com is fantastic in this regard. They'll take back a pair of headphones up to 30 days after purchase. I've used it myself, it's great.

5. You do not want on-ear if you're working in a noisy environment. The seal won't be nearly as good. I'm only owned one pair of on-ears were I was astounded by how well they blocked noise (Phiaton MS400). You'll also get more ear fatigue due to compression. I typically get sore after a few hours with on-ears at the tops of my ears.

My family had the QuietComfort 25s (Not wireless) for 5 years until my dad left them on a plane. They were replaced with the QuietComfort 20 earbuds; they're incredibly comfortable. I wore them without comfort issues on a 13 hour transatlantic flight. I always recently wore them to block out my buddies snoring while vacationing in Cuba! Fell asleep with them in which is incredible since I normally can't stand IEMs/earbuds.

So honestly, you can't go wrong with the Bose QuietComfort 35s. They fit your needs perfectly, they'll last you years and if your ears are happy, you'll be happy. They also make flying sublime.

I can't believe how many people are saying to buy them. Wrong forum! This is Mr. Money Mustache. We should be advocating knitting sweaters out of dryer lint for God's sake.

I have to disagree.

When I read MMM there are 3 main view points:

• Finding happiness
• Reducing consumption
• Environmentalism

He's not about the extreme living. He's not about minimalism. He's about lifestyle balance.

COEE has a savings fund for purchases like this. It's been planned, it's been researched. It's not bad to splurge once in awhile, even MMM does it.

Note: I found music boring until I got into headphones. The life and musicality quality headphones can bring to music is incredible. I do find people who have never owned a pair are always skeptical. I've introduced many friends and acquaintances and I've yet to have a friend regret spending a little extra.

[RobFIRE]

In general, I have no problem paying premium cost for kit under certain conditions:

• I will notice the difference versus cheaper options
• The item is built to last; planned obsolescence isn't built in or can be circumvented
• The manufacturer warranty is above standard, or the device is reasonably modular/self-repairable/upgradable
• The price is reasonable for what you get versus the competition (i.e. I won't pay for the brand/logo)
• There is not an enormous gap between new and used price (because if there is it suggests to me the new price is unreasonable, or there is the option to buy the model from a couple of years ago with similar features for a fraction of the price)
• It is an item that I will enjoy using on a regular basis; or, in an emergency it will be of significant benefit
• Obvious: all basic needs are already met and debt not required for purchase (I'm not spending my rent money on a new iPad)

If it is for professional/work use, I would also look at what is the cost/benefit for the device, which if it's really good (e.g. less than warranty period) may make some of the other criteria irrelevant.

So in general for say $200 or $300 headphones, for personal use, criteria 1 and 6 are met easily, and I'd say 4 is met as headphones seems to be a competitive market and quality electronic devices do cost money to make. For Bose it sounds like 5 is met, the used prices are fairly high. On 2 for Bose, sounds like (from quick check on Amazon) the wireless version has a built in proprietary format lithium battery that can't be replaced. I would be concerned about that on a ~$300 item that should last you many years of careful use, the battery could fail much earlier. I would be unlikely to buy unless it used standard AAA or AA batteries (I make an exception for mobile/cell phones but don't spend more than £100 on these and can resell them again to recover part of that cost. I am unwilling to make exceptions for much else, laptop batteries can be replaced, at least on the machines I have). On 3, sounds like Bose warranty (from quick check on Amazon) is only 1 year, which does not impress me for an item of this cost.

From what I've read about Bose, their selling point is that they have the best noise cancellation. If that is not your key criterion, I'd be looking at another option that has a longer warranty and standard batteries. If noise cancellation is the top requirement, Bose is likely the best choice.

If the refurb option has the same warranty as new I would go for that, sounds to me like an instant $100 saved, I would not expect much difference in terms of average lifespan of new versus manufacturer refurbished for a device that should not 'wear out' in normal use (I assume with the refurb the battery gets replaced). I would generally prefer quality used over new when available.

When it comes to something for professional use, while I would prefer things were all made to last and be repairable, it is also fair to look primarily at the cost/benefit. In this case, increased productivity/reduced stress etc. from $300 headphones could be worth a handful of hours a week, so on an engineer's salary, let's assume $50k or more, $300 would pay for itself within weeks. If it's really that good for your work I'd hope your employer would be willing to contribute to the cost...

[redbird]

Some people seem to think that MMM is advocating for such extreme frugality and minimalist that you should give up all luxuries. No. He's not. Come on, the man built himself, in his own words, a "fancypants detached studio" recently. According to that article, he spent $30,700 on that. That's incredibly cheap for one, since he did it all himself and didn't have to pay labor for some contractor team to do it. But that's still 5 figures to build what's ultimately an unnecessary man-cave.

Headphones are something that can last you for YEARS. $350 for a pair of headphones is less than some people spend on restaurant bills in a single month. If you like the quality of them, believe you will enjoy them, and will get lots of use of them - yeah. I think it's a luxury that's worth spending on.

And, FWIW, my husband is a bit of an audiophile. We have some fancypants speakers connected to our TV - speakers that cost more than what you plan to spend on headphones *each*. But he bought them used (saved money there!) and we use them a LOT. We've had them for a long time and they still sound wonderful. It was worth it.