Sennheiser PXC 550-II and Bose 700 headphones (Express File Photos)As the festive sale on Amazon and Flipkart continues, there are plenty of deals available on wireless headphones. The budget segment is crowded with several new brands entering the market every year. However, the premium segment has a few numbers of brands that cater to the audiophile. These headphones are not too heavy, comfortable to wear, support active noise cancellation, and offer a quality sound for those who pay attention to every detail.
If you are an audiophile, these deals are bound to interest you and probably narrow down your search by a considerable margin. Also, these headphones can be a top-notch fit for your work from home setup.
Sennheiser PXC 550-II
If you are looking for a lightweight headphone and your usage is high every day, Sennheiser PXC 550-II headphone is a good fit. This headphone weighs just 222 grams so you don’t get tired of keeping them on for long hours. The German audio major’s headphone is easily portable and the cushioned ear cups sit comfortably on the ears. It is compatible with voice assistants like Google, Siri and Alexa. The sound signature of the headphone is more Sennheiser-like, not too bass-heavy and offers complete sound. However, if you want to turn it up a notch, the bass can be adjusted via the app as well.
(Express Photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
There are touch controls available to pause, play, or turning up/down the volume. The headphones can be automatically connected to the device. Users need to swivel it back to turn it off. The battery life can last up to 30 hours on a single charge. There is a 3.5mm audio jack as well in case you want to connect it with your phone or laptop. The Sennheiser PXC 550-II is currently available for Rs 17,990 on Amazon.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Bose has been a leading brand in the audio segment for a long time. The noise cancellation is top-notch and the headphone is currently available on Amazon in two colours — black and silver. The headphone is slightly heavier than the Sennheiser PXC 550-II weighing at 235.87 grams. The Google Assistant can be turned on by a dedicated button on the left ear cup but you need to sync it with the Bose app first. You can even remap it to turn on noise cancellation.
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Along with Bluetooth, they can also be connected via NFC. As expected from Bose, listening to music is an amazing experience on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. You can play a little with the equaliser as well. The noise-rejecting dual-microphone makes it a good companion for attending work calls or Zoom meetings. It comes with a 3.5mm jack and a cable to connect in the box. Bose QuietComfort 35 II is available for Rs 19,899 on Amazon.
Marshall Monitor II
Marshall Monitor II offers a bit of style which was missing from the first two headphones with minimalistic designs. The texture is different on the sides of earcups and there is a golden touch on one side. It offers 30 hours of play time with noise cancellation and 15 hours more with it disabled. The sound signature is good but there are not many tweaks you can make here. The Marshall Monitor II is on a little heavier side weighing at 320 grams.
Marshall Monitor II (Source: Amazon India)
There is more style in packaging as well as the bag used is way different from other headphones on the list. It comes with a USB Type C cable to charge the headphone and a retro cord-type aux cable which you can plug into the system and move around easily. The headphone is currently priced at Rs 25,999 on Amazon.
Bose Headphone 700
Bose Headphone 700 has the most unique design of all on the list. The headband is more metallic looking but the headphone does not get too heavy despite it as it weighs 250 grams. It is available in three colours — black, silver and rose gold at Rs 29,741 on Amazon and Flipkart. There are just two buttons on it. The one of the left is for summoning the Google Assistant whereas the one on right is for power and pairing. There are touch controls too to skip songs, turn volume up/down and to know battery status. Users can also switch between the level of noise cancellation.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review: There is more than just music and noise cancellation to the Bose Headphone 700. (Express Photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
Whether the user is listening to songs or watching movies, the Bose Headphone 700 excel at everything as expected. The additional feature is the Augment Reality (AR). This feature may not interest many but can be a thing of the future and define how we watch content. On a single charge, the headphone gives you 20 hours of playtime.
Sony WH-1000XM3
Rated as one of the best noise-cancellation headphones around, Sony WH-1000XM3 is the heaviest on the list weighing at 430 grams. The design looks classy with the subtle use of brass you can see on the headphone. The quick charge feature is something many would like. With just 10 minutes of charge, it can give five hours of playtime which can extend to 30 hours on a full charge. Despite the weight, the headphone is comfortable to wear.
(File Photo)
The sound is excellent whether you are watching a movie or listening to a song. The noise cancellation can be customised by the user. Touch controls are also present on the headphones to skip tracks, turn the volume up/down or activate Google Assistant. It is currently available for Rs 21,990 on Amazon. The price of the white colour variant is higher.
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