Best OVER-EAR Bluetooth / Wireless Headphones under $400 for 2022

scrimshaw on 31/03/2022 - 15:23
Last edited 31/03/2022 - 15:23

Moderators at OzBargain have decided to run yearly polls to decide the best products in popular categories that get asked repeatedly in the forum. Our aim is to have a central thread where users can vote on the items, suggest options and also change their vote throughout the year. The polls will end once the year is over.

Question

What is the best Over-Ear BT Headphones under $400 in 2022?

Results from 2021 shows that most of you voted for the Sony WH-1000XM4, then followed by the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 took third place.

Over-ear headphones are bulkier than their in-ear or on-ear counterparts, but the benefit of having headphones sitting over, rather than on or inside your ears means they're much more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Some of the things you need to look out for in a pair of headphones apart from their sound quality:

  • Open back or closed headphone types
  • Optional detachable Wired connection cable
  • Built in microphones for smartphone usage
  • Boom microphone for gaming
  • Whether they support being connected to a game console, such as Xbox Series and PlayStation 5
  • Active Noise Cancelling features
  • Sizing of the earcups and their materials (affecting comfort)

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Poll Options expired

This is part of What Should I Buy poll for 2022. Check out other recommendations from the OzBargain community.
Electrical & Electronics Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose Headphones Sennheiser Shure Sony What Should I Buy Wireless Headphones

Comments

  • burningrage on 31/03/2022 - 21:23
    +1

    To be honest, I am surprised why Bose ANC 700 and QuietComfort 35 are even here. Neither of them support Aptx & LDAC (SBC / AAC).

    From what I was told (and confirmed in this forum somewhere), WH-1000XM4 have "moisture build up" and "poor mic" (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/691517).

    I am leaning towards PX7 but that's over $400 but if I have to vote out of the 3, WH-1000XM4 definitely comes first.

  • Kangal on 31/03/2022 - 21:51
    +1
    Suggested Bose QuietComfort 45

    For me personally, I like the Sony XM4, as I don't have to think too hard about all the options. I know they offer a lot of performance, features and bang for buck especially when Refurb / on-sale !

    • $40 Anko BT-ANC, grab them from Kmart. They're cheap and they'll do in a pinch.
    • $70 TaoTronics TT-BH046 the previous Bang-for-Buck King. These are banned and discontinued. But is it really worth it, to not pay a little more for something better?
    • $90 "toatronic" SoundSurge 90. Back from the dead, with a new name, and updated version. Not sure about them.
    • $120 Anker SoundCore Q30+ heard good things, not great things, but might be the new B4B King.
    • $200 The "old" Bose QC35ii might be found cheaply, but good luck.
    • $250 Going a little higher there's the Sennheiser PXC 550-II (newly released HD 450BT is not great). They're a pretty great headphones, but these guys aren't quiet the match for Sony.
    • $300 Then comes the Sony XM4 in price, very competitive all-round.
    • $400 Followed by the newly released "Bose QuietComfort 45", which are a little better than the Sony XM4, but they have no discounts so they cost more.
    • $550 Stepping up the Bose NC-700 aren't good in my opinion.
    • $999 Then you can step up to the Apple AirPod Max, these are much better than anything listed but they cost much much more (not worth it).

    *price is a rough guide only.

    edit: thanks to burningrage, he did remind me of the B&W PX7. I read a review of it the other day. I think they're somewhere between the PXC-550ii, XM4, QC45. So they're great, but not sure of their local support here. And price at $600 is a worry, but probably better than the Bose NC-700.

  • HamBoi69 on 02/04/2022 - 09:10

    Would recommend them, the only problem is that they are only with Apple products. Great Bass and depth.

    • scrimshaw on 02/04/2022 - 09:50

      On-ear. Poll is for over-ear.

  • Ozzy bar on 03/04/2022 - 11:46

    I sent XM4 back for refund as I couldn’t stand the latency watching TV and streaming. It was all over the place. Obviously not designed for this application. Two different models of JBL I have work perfectly for this application.

    • johndoh89 on 15/04/2022 - 21:45

      Depending on the codec I've had great results streaming and even gaming with my XM2 series. They aren't perfect, but the difference isn't noticible unless I'm looking for it.
      Wife has a set of JBL ANC that came free with her S10E (IIRC) and I don't notice a difference in latency.

  • ENSLAVER on 05/04/2022 - 14:00

    I have some Sony WH-1000XM4 and they were great for a year, then one side started making an ear piercing screech with noise cancelling turned on. Wireless 1 say they only have a 1 year warranty and Sony says that Wireless 1 are not an official Sony retailer so…. now I have to argue with both of them.

    • Zippy7 on 13/04/2022 - 09:19
      +1

      ACL is your friend

  • Zippy7 on 13/04/2022 - 09:27

    I bought a pair of XM4's over a year ago on sale.
    My comments would be about getting the right fit for your head - these are fine for me up to about 30mins, and then it gets uncomfortable due to a) ear cups not big enough, b) heat build up/lack of breathing material of ear cups. So even trying on in the shop won't necessarily help you know they won't be good after 30mins usage.
    My son took a liking to them, and is now using them (smaller head, so good for him)
    I bought myself a pair of Airpods Max (on sale, but still outside the price limit for this poll) and they fit better and much more comfortable for me.

  • apple2016 on 21/04/2022 - 15:48
    Suggested Sennheiser Momentum 3

    Link : https://www.sennheiser-hearing.com/p/momentum-wireless/ckycv…

    I like the sound quality of these.

  • shraky on 05/05/2022 - 13:28
    +1

    I bought my XM4 from Sony ebay seconds store and it died within 1 year although I didn't cause any damage and even hardly used it. Sony told me charging port has corrosion damage and refused to repair it under warranty. I brought up to Fair Trading couldn't help and now escalate to tribunal. I have my Bose from 2016 and use it almost everyday without problem. If you want peace of mind don't touch Sony.

  • UncommonName on 07/05/2022 - 00:06

    Any update on TaoTronics TT-BH046 or it's new name?

  • npnp on 06/08/2022 - 21:51

    Of course Sony. I think even Sony last generation XM3 is better than all other options in the poll (and by a long run too). The sound quality and noise cancelling of Sony are on another level.
    If you score by 100 (purely based on sound quality and noise cancelling)

    XM4 - 100
    XM3 - 95
    XM2 - 80
    Bose 45 - 80
    Bose 35ii - 70

    If you add build quality into the equation, Bose might come up in score but still won't catch up with top two.

  • PKBeam on 20/08/2022 - 16:26
    Suggested Shure AONIC 50

    If sound quality is the top priority, the Aonic 50 is the best performer that still remains at a reasonable price (~$350-ish when on sale).

    The companion app can apply a parametric equaliser to the headphones, which is super useful for tweaking the sound quality.
    The headphones themselves are pretty open-sounding for a pair of closed backs, and have a relatively neutral sound - a little bassy but you can easily EQ it down in the app.
    Even still, they have by far the best sound quality I've heard from any wireless headphones bar the (very pricey) AirPods Max.

    As far as the other features go, the Aonic 50 does alright - nothing spectacular. Okay-performing ANC and decent connectivity (3.5mm, USB-C, Bluetooth) and the battery life will easily last a day. It's relatively comfortable but it's a bit bulky and doesn't fold.

  • yama131 on 01/09/2022 - 09:36

    Had my Sony MDR 1000-X for over 5 years.. the head brace broke before the speakers did which i superglued back together twice.
    Finally going to retired it even though the device still functions properly.

  • arabora0 on 25/09/2022 - 18:13

    AirPods Pro 1st Gen are still $317 (with 2nd gen being $399) wherever I look. I wouldve thought that with the release of the 2nd gen, the 1st gen would drop price. But that still seems like an insane price to me. Am I wrong, or is that price point for the 1st gen accurate?

  • G-rig on 15/11/2022 - 12:36

    I'd agree the XM4 are best for ~$300, and XM5 for ~$400 (on good deals, recently purchased the XM5 for $405 from TGG, paid $300.80 for the XM4 in 2021).

    Overall comfort, long battery life, great isolating, pretty good sound quality & call quality, and functions that just work.

    Obviously there are other BT headphones that sound a bit better (B&W PX7 S2 and Focal Bathys), but both are a lot more expensive, and may not be as good in other areas.

  • AircraftFreight on 13/12/2022 - 15:10

    For day-to-day use, I love my XM4s - and especially now there is great offerings in term of price.

    However, if the sole purpose for these headphones is for long haul travel, I'd go for the QC45s as they are simply so dam comfortable with just amazing ANC whereas with the 700s or the XM4s after 5 hours it gets really uncomfortable. But for 99% of people, go with the XM4s.

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