Hi, I’m new in the “headphones” world and I usually bought the first cheap option with good reviews on youtube and never really informed myself. My current headphones (Anker Soundcore Q30) are almost dead and I want to make an informed choise about my next one. However I feel like there are a lot of things I know nothing about.
For example I read a lot of good things about Sennheiser but the first pari of headphones I saw in my price range (ACCENTUM) have 37mm drivers. My Soundcore Q30 have 40mm drivers and I always thought that “the bigger the better” for the driver. From what I heard, however, the ACCENTUM are consider higher quality than Soundcore Q30.
What I’d like to know is: what should I really look for to understand the quality of the headphones?
I’d mainly use them to listen to music (some Metal, Punk but sometimes Rap, Classical or movies and videogames OST) in my house or outside (so good ANC is always appreciated).
Former audio engineer here. Things that touch your body are highly subjective. Add in the audio angle, and the variables spiral out of control. Driver size is a guideline, but not an absolute litmus. This is a leaky comparison, but a great set of IEMs might have 10mm drivers. A high-end smaller driver will be more accurate than a cheap larger driver.
When I'm considering a new set of headphones or earbuds, I start by looking for aspects that generally outline a quality set of audio gear, such as AptX HD support, serviceability/rebuildable/parts availability, driver type and manufacturer, DAC manufacturer, wired option, etc. None of these by themselves are indicators of quality, but they are typically common to good gear. A published response curve from an independent lab is a nice-to-have. Once I approach the pull-the-trigger phase, I'll consider reviews from SoundGuys and people I trust in my circle.
ANC nukes audio quality. There are plenty of decent sounding cans with ANC, but they take an instant hit to sound and massive bump in price. In my experience, better ANC means lower sound quality. I prefer passive noise reduction for noisy environs. Comply foam eartips on your IEMs go a long way to improving isolation. Yes, this would mean a set of headphones and a set of IEM, and picking the right tool for the job. I've tried a bunch of ANC gear: Sony WF-1000XM4, Sony WH-1000XM4/5, Bose QC, Sennheiser HDB 630, and so on. In the end, I always go back to my wired hardware because it just sounds that much better.
Hard agree on subjective nature of the quality. Even for loudspeakers it is really up to your own preferences, and when it comes to IEMs/headphones - there are no 2 experts that will agree on what is "the best".
ANC does degrade the quality, but in the noisier environments like planes and trains it is probably a good option for less-hassle listening.
Momentum 2 were famously terrible (had these and enjoyed a lot - until i tried something else). Hope 4th model is better.
The only real advice to OP here would be to find an offline store and go listen to some of the models they have. Bring your own music! That is how I realised that neutrality of HD600 is my benchmark. However these are open-backs, wired and twice the price (
You can also try to understand what kind of sound delivery you prefer: bassy, neutral, bright - that would narrow down the options for you.
Crinacle tested a lot (though he stopped updating his database unfortunately) - this may give you some ideas. https://crinacle.com/rankings/headphones/
Good luck!
Thank you for the very detailed explanation! It's sad to hear about the ANC nuking the sound quality but honestly unless is THAT bad, since I'm not an expert and I think that traffic/public transport nuke the sound more than the ANC I'm willing to make that sacrifice.
Right now I was looking at the Sennheiser Momentum 4. They seem to be good for my budget (I think they are on sale and I can buy them for 179€ (I think it's around $200)) and I could use them "wired" with USB-C. Do you think it's a decent choise (maybe outside with ANC and bluetooth and at home wired with USB-C)?