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[maid]

Hi Guys,

We need guidance regarding headphones. Our setup is using onkyo and bitstreaming.
Looking for great quality headphone recommendations.
We need these as my ears are sensitive and hubby has a bad ear so has things way too loud for me.
I saw somewhere that ther is dolby atmos ones
Also can i also use them on my phone laptop etc?
Do we plug the headphones in the headphones jack on the onkyo?

[RD James]

It really depends what you're looking for.
After having noise cancelling headphones, I don't want to use anything else.
My recommendation is the Bose QuietComfort 35 if you intend to use them with many devices, as they can be paired to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, and you can easily switch pairing with any other previously connected device via the headset.
You can use a 3.5mm to 2.5mm cable if you want to use them wired for anything sensitive to latency, or if you want the best audio quality.

Unfortunately I think they may have cleared out their stock now, but Amazon was selling the Series I of the QC35 at a good discount before Xmas. If you can get the Series I at a good price, I recommend it. The only difference between the Series I and II is that the Series II has a button for direct Google Assistant/Alexa access and a slightly different carrying case.

[maid]

Hi and thanks, after much on the web research I am more confused then ever.
I have read bluetooth is not what I should be using but rf my only other question is how to connect to our Onkyo.
do we plug these into the headphone jack as the ones I am looking at come with an optical and audio cable.
Can i put these in the cd or bluray jacks

[Awesome Donkey]

Bluetooth's aptX codec also only supports 48kHz, so you'd have to resample all audio to 48kHz.

So yeah, I'd avoid Bluetooth if that's unacceptable.

[astromo]

Check out a site like innerfidelity or head-fi.

With headphones, from what I've worked out, beauty very much lies in the ears of the beholder. I reckon that your ears are the ones you should take the most notice of.

[DarkPenguin]

I like the Fostex T50RPs. Buy new pads.

They can be a bit power hungry but if you don't like things all that loud it should be fine.

[jimwallen]

Audeze LCD-4. amazing sound quality, but pricey.

[maid]

how about Sennheiser?

[DarkPenguin]

Senhieser HD820s are nice.

[pschelbert]

yes Sennheiser:
HD800 or HD800s open headphones
HD650 or HD660: cheaper

Stax: need special STAX-amp!
L300
L500
L700
or SR009, SR009s (very costly)

I would avoid SR007 (muddy sound)

[Awesome Donkey]

Sennheiser is VERY nice indeed.

[wer]

Sennheiser is an excellent headphone, and the 600 and 650 can be had at reasonable prices.

Some headphones, like Staxx, Sennheiser and others draw a lot of power and would sound much better through a dedicated headphone amp than through the headphone jack on your Onkyo receiver.  Closed back headphones will isolate the listener from the spouse's noise, or vice versa.  Open headphones usually sound more natural and are the more common high end design.

But since no one else has told you, I will... Here's the thing.

Headphones are speakers.  They are just small speakers for your ears.  And like all speakers, they all sound VERY different.

Buying a set of headphones, based on something someone tells you or that you read, without listening to them, is like buying a painting based on a written description alone.  It's madness.  If you try buying headphones online, make sure you have a good return policy.

The best advice you can get is this: Find your nearest audio store that carries headphones, go, and have a listen.  Choose the ones that sound best to you. 

[maid]

thank you very sound advise

[SageAdvise]

If you still need other opinions, I use Sennheiser PCX 550 for travel they have Bluetooth, direct cable or even USB to Mini USB connectors. I believe they have some of the best noise cancelling available (no engine noise on Planes). They also fold up and you can take a phone call even if you listening to music (they automatically mute the music). They are very versatile and sound quality is terrific. When I bought them they were about $350 but I saw them on Amazon for about $250 the other day. My only issues was that they fit tight to my ears but that is due a XXL size head if yours is smaller they should be comfortable.
 My home set is AKG 702  I have had them about 10 years. They were made in Austria and a still considered a go to for sound engineers. I have seen no reason to replace them. They have a huge sound stage extremely wide dynamic range of 10-40kHz and are very comfortable. Some of the suggestions are in the $2000-$4000 range. You could buy these direct for about $350 or a Chinese Knockoff from Massdrop for about $200.

[wer]

Since someone resurrected this thread, tell us what you finally ended up doing, maid.