Noise Cancelling Audiophile Bluetooth Headphones?

I have the Sennheiser PXC550s. Absolutely love 'em. The cups are a bit snug, but the isolation on them fantastic.
Got great neutral sound profile with decent eq presets and simple touch control on-ear.

My original pair of the Bose QC15 started to fall apart, and I've been trying to research and decide between getting the QC35, the Sony WH-1000XM2 and the B&W PX. In terms of noise cancellation and comfortability, the QC35 win in that regard. The 1000XM2 was still pretty comfortable, and while the PX had a stronger clamp force, I got use to them after a while.

I was able to listen to all three headphones after visiting a few audio stores in my area. All were rather good when it came to blue-tooth setup and I encountered no issues. In terms of sound quality, the B&W PX just slightly beats the 1000XM2; the clarity from the PX were more defined when discerning the lows, mids and highs. Given I tested the B&W PX in professional audio store, it could be possible that the PXs were given more time to burn-in.

For aesthetics, the PX felt and looked really nice due to the nice of material. While both the 1000XM2 and the QC35s are made of plastic, they are much lighter. One additional advantage of the B&W PX is that it uses USB Type C when connected and charging, while the 1000XM2 and the QC35 both use micro-usb. In terms of features, the Sony 1000XM2 edges out the B&W PX as it has a better mobile app and smart features.

Overall, all three headphones are pretty good. Definitely go for the QC35 if you prioritize comfortability and noise cancellation. For aesthetics and sound quality, the B&W PX are my recommendation. The Sony WH1000XM2, while in the middle, is a very good all-rounder as it still has good sound quality, noise cancellation and is comfortable.

Ranking:

Noise Cancellation - Bose QC35 > Sony WH-1000XM2 > B&W PX
Sound Quality - B&W PX > Sony WH-1000XM2 > Bose QC35
Aesthetics - B&W PX > Sony WH-1000XM2 > Bose QC35
Comfort - Bose QC35 > Sony WH-1000XM2 > B&W PX
Features - Sony WH-1000XM2 > B&W PX > Bose QC35

Debating between the Bose QC35 / Sony WH-1000XM2 / B&W PX, would primarily pair with an iPhone X. Audio quality is paramount to me and I know the iPhone can't do aptX. Do any of these support wireless AAC? Does it even matter if I'm not listening to music in that format (my library is all self-ripped MP3s, I don't use any streaming services)?

i use the Sony 950N1 because i'm all about that bass

Harusame said:

Sound Quality - B&W PX > Sony WH-1000XM2 > Bose QC35

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For what it's worth, this is the opposite of RTINGS' sound quality rating for these headphones, based on objective measurements.

• Bose QC35 MkII scores 8.0
• Sony WH-1000XM2 scores 7.3
• Bowers & Wilkins PX scores 6.9

That's not to say that you're wrong - people have their own preferences for how they like things to sound.
I realize that I'm coming across as a bit of fan for Bose products, but that's only because they have an undeserved reputation among audiophiles.
These days, people's opinion seems to be that Bose make bad products, when the original complaint was not that they made bad products, but that they made overpriced ones - when comparing the sound quality of their ANC headphones to non-ANC headphones.
But when you're comparing like-for-like, everyone's high-end ANC headphones are that expensive.

I'm glad that the competition is improving though.
I'm probably going to wait for the next generation of Bluetooth over-ear headphones, as I'd like USB-C fast charging and/or wireless charging, and I hope that the competition only gets fiercer.
Sony are doing a good job of catching up to Bose, I've always had a preference for their headphones, and the WH-1000XM2 has some interesting features that the others lack.

metsallica said:

Debating between the Bose QC35 / Sony WH-1000XM2 / B&W PX, would primarily pair with an iPhone X. Audio quality is paramount to me and I know the iPhone can't do aptX. Do any of these support wireless AAC? Does it even matter if I'm not listening to music in that format (my library is all self-ripped MP3s, I don't use any streaming services)?

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It will still use AAC transmission. Even if you're playing AAC files, they will be re-encoded (likely due to the limited bitrate).
The QC35 appears to only support SBC and AAC, the B&W PX supports SBC, AAC, and aptX HD, while the Sony WH-1000XM2 supports SBC, AAC, aptX HD, and LDAC.
AAC is the only one that currently matters if you're using iOS though.

For amazing sound I would recommend Nuraphones.

They have active noise cancelling and custom octoacoustic hearing profiles.

The sound quality is on another planet.

Pargon said:

For what it's worth, this is the opposite of RTINGS' sound quality rating for these headphones, based on objective measurements.

• Bose QC35 MkII scores 8.0
• Sony WH-1000XM2 scores 7.3
• Bowers & Wilkins PX scores 6.9

That's not to say that you're wrong - people have their own preferences for how they like things to sound.
I realize that I'm coming across as a bit of fan for Bose products, but that's only because they have an undeserved reputation among audiophiles.
These days, people's opinion seems to be that Bose make bad products, when the original complaint was not that they made bad products, but that they made overpriced ones - when comparing the sound quality of their ANC headphones to non-ANC headphones.
But when you're comparing like-for-like, everyone's high-end ANC headphones are that expensive.

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My apologies if I seemed to have downplayed the QC35's sound quality. I can't deny that the QC35's sound quality is pretty good; when compared to my old pair of QC15s, the sound quality is definitely improved and the noise cancellation is stellar. In fairness, when I was comparing the three headphones, I was using my own playlist which consisted of some jazz, k-pop, j-pop and R&B. With that, I can't deny that personal preference came into play when it came to discerning which headphone sounded well suited.

I have a Sony WH-H900 h.ear, it's pretty good and it has noise cancellation. The only down side that its touch control for the control panel isn't well designed.

Another vote for the QC35. Love mine. Have a pair of AirPods for more portability also. Perfect Bluetooth combo. Biggie Smalls

I have both the MDR-1000Xs (i.e. the almost identical predecessor to the WH-1000XM2) and the Bose QC35IIs. The Sony wins in the sound department. But your preference being less bass, I think the Bose is better for you on that front. The Sony has LDAC, which makes a difference if you are on Android 8.0 or higher, but it really isn't that huge a difference with AAC.

The ANC on either is virtually identical, and while the ambient sound gimmick is nice, in practice I never use it. The hand on cup to let sound through also, you still take off the headphones 99% of the time, if only to not appear rude to others.

The Bose has Google Assistant built in. Which is amazing. It reads your notifications, you can ask it a ton of things, you get told who is calling, it is a significantly better experience. Though this is mostly on Android.

The Bose allows you to connect two devices simultaneously, which makes life very easy if you have a tablet and a phone, or a laptop with bluetooth.

Finally, most importantly, the Bose is significantly more comfortable. The Sony clamps down more, and presses on your ears. I get fatigued within an hour or two, and I have to take them off for a while. Very impractical. The Bose can be worn for hours without discomfort. Also, the Sony creaks alot, so if you intend to wear them while walking or working out, note that this is a thing that will be annoying on quieter tracks, podcasts, or audiobooks.

All in all they both have pros and cons, and your use case probably determines which you prefer. For me, it is the Bose because of the comfortability, assistant and the ability to use two devices at once.

neon_dream said:

I spent 2 hours in Best Buy listening to noise-cancelling headphones. It easily came down to Sony WH-1000XM2 vs Bose QC.

Bose has slightly better treble. However Bose also has more cracking at the high end.
Sony has less definition in the high end, however it's a smoother sound and does not crack. It also has a wider stage and better bass, imo.

The decision was easy for me. I went with the WH-1000XM2.

One concern is comfort. The Bose are lighter and sit softer on the ears. The Sony phones actually hurt my ears listening for long periods of time. So I changed out the earpads for larger, softer, true-leather pads. Since then I've been very happy.

Another point to mention is that the WH-1000XM2 have fun tech. Namely they have these neat tap/swipe controls on the right earcup. You just flick your finger up or down for volume and left or right for "back/forward" on playlists. Double tapping pauses/plays. Pretty cool. They also have NFC pairing, which is nice.

Oh, something else I like about the WH-1000XM is that the battery life is crazy, like 30 hours. The build quality is also great, solid.

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How do you manage to change the earpad? The Sony is the best NC Bluetooth headset but it hurt your ears if you use it for too long.

Aiii said:

Also, the Sony creaks alot, so if you intend to wear them while walking or working out, note that this is a thing that will be annoying on quieter tracks, podcasts, or audiobooks.

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I'm surprised they still have that problem. It's been an issue with most of their newer headphone designs since at least 2011.
I had to open up my MDR-7520s and put lithium grease on the gimbals to stop them from creaking when moving my head at all. I'd be far less comfortable doing that with something as densely packed as a Bluetooth headphone is likely to be.

Michaelandavinci said:

How do you manage to change the earpad? The Sony is the best NC Bluetooth headset but it hurt your ears if you use it for too long.

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See this post.

Noise Cancelling Audiophile Bluetooth Headphones?

neon_dream said:

See this post.

Noise Cancelling Audiophile Bluetooth Headphones?

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Sweet. Thanks.

Damn it guys, I was eyeing a pair of QC35 II and this thread pushed me.

I love my QC35s. Can't go wrong with this pair.

Pargon said:

For what it's worth, this is the opposite of RTINGS' sound quality rating for these headphones, based on objective measurements.

• Bose QC35 MkII scores 8.0
• Sony WH-1000XM2 scores 7.3
• Bowers & Wilkins PX scores 6.9

That's not to say that you're wrong - people have their own preferences for how they like things to sound.
I realize that I'm coming across as a bit of fan for Bose products, but that's only because they have an undeserved reputation among audiophiles.
These days, people's opinion seems to be that Bose make bad products, when the original complaint was not that they made bad products, but that they made overpriced ones - when comparing the sound quality of their ANC headphones to non-ANC headphones.
But when you're comparing like-for-like, everyone's high-end ANC headphones are that expensive.

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Click to shrink...

Interesting, but to be honest, that's the first and only time I have read something bad (or should I say 'only average') about the sound quality of the PX, and it doesn't match my listening experiences at all. I wonder if something in their setup (bluethooth, cable, aac, aptx, aptxHD etc.) might be a disadvantage for the PX. I think I've read that the internal up-sampling in the PX is in some situations disadvantageous. Maybe it was the case in their setup.

Don't get me wrong, I just want to try to understand why my ears think different after listening to them on the same setup/music combination where all three of them were on the same level with the PX just a tiny little bit more to my liking.
(The PX then being the best build and cheapest for me made the decision a non brainer)

Yeah, I've got the first gen QC35s, but in terms of the current generation most places I've checked say that the PX sound quality is better than the rest

Don_Tombery said:

Interesting, but to be honest, that's the first and only time I have read something bad (or should I say 'only average') about the sound quality of the PX, and it doesn't match my listening experiences at all. I wonder if something in their setup (bluethooth, cable, aac, aptx, aptxHD etc.) might be a disadvantage for the PX. I think I've read that the internal up-sampling in the PX is in some situations disadvantageous. Maybe it was the case in their setup.

Don't get me wrong, I just want to try to understand why my ears think different after listening to them on the same setup/music combination where all three of them were on the same level with the PX just a tiny little bit more to my liking.
(The PX then being the best build and cheapest for me made the decision a non brainer)

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I think a lot of people just aren't used to what a more neutral/accurate sound is like - and the QC35 are the closest to that as far as active noise cancellation is concerned.
Tyll from InnerFidelity also rates the QC35 as the best sounding noise cancelling headphones currently available - though I don't think he's reviewed the PX, only the Sony WH-1000X and other B&W models.
B&W speakers and headphones tend to have a "house sound" rather than striving to be neutral.

Pargon said:

For what it's worth, this is the opposite of RTINGS' sound quality rating for these headphones, based on objective measurements.

• Bose QC35 MkII scores 8.0
• Sony WH-1000XM2 scores 7.3
• Bowers & Wilkins PX scores 6.9

That's not to say that you're wrong - people have their own preferences for how they like things to sound.
I realize that I'm coming across as a bit of fan for Bose products, but that's only because they have an undeserved reputation among audiophiles.
These days, people's opinion seems to be that Bose make bad products, when the original complaint was not that they made bad products, but that they made overpriced ones - when comparing the sound quality of their ANC headphones to non-ANC headphones.
But when you're comparing like-for-like, everyone's high-end ANC headphones are that expensive.

I'm glad that the competition is improving though.
I'm probably going to wait for the next generation of Bluetooth over-ear headphones, as I'd like USB-C fast charging and/or wireless charging, and I hope that the competition only gets fiercer.
Sony are doing a good job of catching up to Bose, I've always had a preference for their headphones, and the WH-1000XM2 has some interesting features that the others lack.

It will still use AAC transmission. Even if you're playing AAC files, they will be re-encoded (likely due to the limited bitrate).
The QC35 appears to only support SBC and AAC, the B&W PX supports SBC, AAC, and aptX HD, while the Sony WH-1000XM2 supports SBC, AAC, aptX HD, and LDAC.
AAC is the only one that currently matters if you're using iOS though.

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Thank you, very helpful. Music-wise I listen to everything though I lean metal. Wondering if any of the three favor that style of music...

Is there any online store that sells these headphones for less than MSRP? Or some ebay shop idk

For working out / activity, I really love the Bose QuietControl 30s:

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/headphones/earphones/quietcontrol-30.html#v=qc30_black

They're ear-bud style, but super comfortable, stay in your ear, have good battery life, decent bluetooth, passable noise cancellation for in-ear style, and are high quality.

I've got wired QC35s or whatever they are that are also great, but I prefer wearing these for most activity. The only time I'll wear the QC35s are when I need noise cancellation over convenience, like gaming, flying, public transportation, etc.

I wear the other ones way more often, like mowing the lawn, doing laundry, biking (only wear 1 in that case), playing basketball (solo), any work around the house, if I'm doing work on my computer at a coffee place or something. They're great. The convenience is why I like them most. The QC35s are awesome too but... they're bulky to carry around and I don't like *wearing* headphones, I know, I'm weird.

I'm sure there are others that are better in other categories, but I like how Bose makes good all around headphones.