this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2026
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So almost 2 years ago I asked about upgrading my plantronics backbeat pro 2's and people suggested I hold them until the wheels fall off

https://lemmy.world/post/23922174

Well, now the wheels are falling off. Headband is coming apart.

What would be a modern day upgrade you'd recommend?

Based on what I've seen... It would seem the momentum 4 (I've seen them regularly under 200 usd new on reseller sites) or momentum 5 from sennheiser would be a good choice but curious to know if this community has a different or better recommendation.

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[–] vinceman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 hour ago

https://www.technics.com/ca/products/headphones/eah-a800.html

I don't know exactly where they stack up, but when using a headphone jack the audio quality and volume are much better than just bluetooth. I've been very happy with them, also have a set of earbuds from them I use everyday and they've been around for about 3 years and are holding up very well compared to Sennheiser earbuds I had. I also only really bought them because it's what a local shop sells.

[–] confuser@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 hours ago

Anything on this list, its a list of high quality eq curves for tons of different headphones ranging from very cheap to very expensive, its also available on github and available to be accessed by a lot of different software.

https://autoeq.app/

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 6 points 7 hours ago

It depends on your requirements.

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 17 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Sony MDR 7506 or similar are the best headphones I've ever owned. They are modular, designed to be repairable, and have great build quality. They're wired and have no microphone, but they retail for a third the price of a bluetooth set that can match the sound quality. (~$100)

[–] leftascenter@jlai.lu 6 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

I lobed mine but the membranes aged quickly

They are designed to be repairable, but iirc the parts cost enough to make it hard to justify repairing over just buying a new pair

[–] bacon_pdp@lemmy.world 9 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Beyerdynamic DT 150.

They are designed to be fixed and are built like a tank. I fully expect them to keep working for the rest of my life

[–] Thorry@feddit.org 2 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

I second the Beyerdynamic. I have the DT 770 myself, bought them 15 years ago and still going strong. I'd expect these to be the last pair of headphones I'll ever need. Mine are however fully closed, which can lead to hot ears. They are super comfy and I get cold ears quickly, so I prefer them. I also really like the sound isolation and the sound quality is absolutely perfect.

A friend of mine has the DT 990 which are open backed, so they don't suffer as much from hot ears. However the sound quality can be a bit worse as they have less isolation. It's a bit of a trade off, both have excellent sound and in a quiet room there is no difference. So it's just preference really.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 1 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Yeah, I've had two pairs of DT 770 Pros now, and they're probably my favorite non-active-noise-cancelling headphones. Good passive isolation, comfortable, fairly light, durable.

I think that the cable used to be detachable and isn't on current models, but my current model also cost significantly less, so...shrugs

If OP wants ANC headphones, though, which I assume he does if he's looking at Momentum 4s, might not be what he wants.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 1 points 3 hours ago

Yeah, I've had two pairs of DT 770 Pros now, and they're probably my favorite non-active-noise-cancelling headphones. Good passive isolation, comfortsble, durable.

I think that the cable used to be detachable and isn't on current models, but my current model also cost significantly less, so...shrugs

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 8 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] myrmidex@belgae.social 1 points 4 hours ago

Had an XM3 and now an XM5, these are top notch head phones indeed!

[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I've heard Ploopy headphones are good, and since they're open source you can easily fix them yourself if you have an issue

[–] PoopingCough@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

I think those are usb only :(

[–] daggermoon@piefed.world 8 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I recently bought Senheizer HD-650's. I'm very happy with them.

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 2 points 6 hours ago

I was gonna recommend the same. Have been using them for 2 month and absolutely love them.

[–] venusaur@lemmy.world 10 points 9 hours ago (4 children)

Probably gonna get hate, but why not Quietcomfort? If you’re an audiophile and your phone is actually playing lossless high res audio, of course go for Sennheiser. If you wear your headphones everywhere often, prioritize ANC and don’t mind the Bose sound, I’d go Bose every day and save the hifi listening for at home.

[–] fitgse@sh.itjust.works 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Agree. There are some things that annoy me but my QC35 II are the most comfortable headphones I've ever had. I don't like anything touching my ears and I am very very sensitive to pressure, so if this matters to you then look at the quiet comforts.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 hours ago

How big are your ears? I'm on Sennheiser 598 because it's good stuff but also because they accept my big ears ☺️. They are definitely home only though so I'm looking for some sturdy nice ones for outside.

[–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 7 hours ago

What is the Bose sound?

[–] DougPiranha42@lemmy.world 3 points 8 hours ago

I completely agree with this. If I want noise cancellation, the quiet comforts are good, I am mostly playing music to mask sounds anyway, so the main exception is comfort, non-obtrusive sound, and good ANC. I also use them on flights, for podcasts when awake or background music when trying to sleep- so again, sound quality is secondary. My only problem with them is the faux leather cover of the ear cup flakes easily, needs replacing about every 2 years. For listening to music at home, I use open headphones.

[–] dgdft@lemmy.world 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Adding another +1 from personal experience.

I’ve happily used the same wired, over-ear Sennheisers as my daily drivers for 15 years, but tried switching over to Sennheiser’s wireless noise-canceling line a few years ago. Horrible mistake: the sound quality was acceptable but the firmware, the fit, and the ANC were atrocious.

Couldn’t believe the two products were made by the same company.

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 4 points 7 hours ago

No particular model to recommend, but if you use it primarily for music/movies at home and don’t have anyone around you to bother, go for open-back or half open-back headphones.

[–] RollForInitiative@feddit.org 6 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I have the Momentum 4 and they sound good, but in my opinion the noise cancelling is really bad. I also really dislike the pressure they create on my ears, but i've been told all noise cancelling headphones do that so that might just be a thing i personally dislike. My friends swear on the Sony XM1000 series, though i remember them saying the older versions were better.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 2 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

I've had a Momentum 4 and a WH-1000XM5.

I was not happy with the Momentum, and can't recommend it. I initially had some kind of connectivity problems with Linux. Then, it had a tendency to l cut out, which I eventually discovered was a problem with the infrared sensor in one cup used to detect whether you've taken the hesdphones off. When it fogs up with condensed sweat, apparently not enough IR light gets through and it thinks that you've taken the headphones off. I disabled that feature with the Android app. Then some problem came up where when moved slightly, it would play back loud, high-frequency "squeaky" sounds. Some sort of problem with the noise-cancelling setup. Oh, and I had problems with bumping the side triggering touch controls.

The XM5 was fine for me when used as headphones---and better noise cancellation than the Momentum 4. But when used as a headset, sometimes, especially when resting my head against a chair, the other party would say that I suddenly became muffled.

I currently use it as headphones, but pair it with a USB lapel mic when I need a mic.

[–] baseball2020@sopuli.xyz 1 points 12 minutes ago

Had the exact same IR problem with the XM4. Bit disillusioned with basically all the brands.

[–] RollForInitiative@feddit.org 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Interesting, i've got the disconnects too, never knew why. Moisture in the IR sensors, who would have thought ^^

[–] tal@lemmy.today 1 points 4 hours ago

Yeah, if you get the proprietary Android app, you can permanently turn that functionality off from an Android device. Took me ages to discover that. :-/

[–] lntl@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 hours ago

I use Panasonic ergofit everyday, good luck

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip -4 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

That headset must've been crap if it only lasted 2 years...

[–] Janx@piefed.social 8 points 7 hours ago

8 Years. They just posted about them 2 years ago...