this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2023
61 points (95.5% liked)

F-Droid

8134 readers
4 users here now

F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform. The client makes it easy to browse, install, and keep track of updates on your device.

Website | GitLab | Mastodon

Matrix space | forum | IRC

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
[email protected]
61
ANC headphones/earbuds that require no proprietary apps? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
43 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

This may be OT since strictly speaking it's about hardware... I trust it is ok to post it given the spirit of the community, but have my apologies and feel free to remove it if it's not.

I'm looking to replace my old Bose QC25, since they have recently died (after a long a fulfilling life), but it seems everything nowadays is bluetooth (which I don't mind) and require some proprietary app to turn ANC on/off (which I do mind... are physical buttons/switches become too expensive to include in your overpriced earbuds?).

Anyway... do you know of any headphones/earbuds that meet the following?

  1. can be powered via wire or have batteries that last 12+hrs (long-haul flights)
  2. have decent noise cancelling
  3. don't require me to install a apps or can be used with some open source app (possibly with full functionality and straightforward to setup)
  4. are not overly expensive (I have to buy 2 pairs and I'll only use them a few times a year when I fly)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hard disagree. ANC of earbuds just isn't in the same league as a nice set of big over-ear cans. And earbuds that go inside your ear canal may or may not fit well depending on how your ear canal is shaped. Also, my big headphones are VERY repairable, unlike little earbuds. I bought these things used and have replaced a faulty power board and the battery in them that eventually went bad, all with a screwdriver. No soldering required.

I'm sure the LinkBuds are nice, but I want to push back hard on the idea that earbuds are inherently better. There are pros and cons.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I thought you were talking about the WF-1000XM3, which ARE earbuds (but I had to look up the difference, WF-1000 or WH-1000). Thanks Sony for naming things almost the same.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah their naming scheme is stupid

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The wf-1000mx3 are earbuds, and they have some of the best noise cancelling on the market… or did when they came out. I guess they are a few years old now, but it’s significantly better than any non-Sony ANC I’ve ever used, headphone or earbud.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I'm sure they compare favorably to other earbuds. But their form factor means they're inevitably going to have inferior ANC to the flagship over-ear headphones from Bose and Sony. Those would be the QC-45 and WH-1000XM5 headphones at the moment.

It's why you don't see them directly compared very often; they're in different leagues and there's really no contest.