Electronics

What are the best wireless headsets with a minimalistic design?

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Bose QuietComfort 35 vs Sony MDR-1000X vs Sennheiser PXC 550

 vs Parrot Zik 2.0 vs Jabra Move Wireless

Specs

Weight

-

Connectivity

-

Frequency Response

-

Battery Life

-

Impedance

-

Sensitivity

-

Frequency Response

-

Type

-

Cable

-

Active Noise Cancelling

-

Weight

275g (No Cable)

Connectivity

Bluetooth / 3.5 mm

Frequency Response

4 - 40,000 Hz

Battery Life

20 Hours (Playback Time, Noise Cancelling On)

Impedance

46 Ohms

Sensitivity

103 dB/mW

Frequency Response

4 - 40,000 Hz

Type

-

Cable

-

Active Noise Cancelling

-

Weight

-

Connectivity

-

Frequency Response

-

Battery Life

-

Impedance

-

Sensitivity

-

Frequency Response

-

Type

On/Over-Ears

Cable

-

Active Noise Cancelling

-

Weight

270g

Connectivity

Wired / Bluetooth 3.0 / NFC

Frequency Response

20Hz – 22kHz

Battery Life

-

Impedance

-

Sensitivity

-

Frequency Response

-

Type

-

Cable

Mini-jack cable: 1,30 m

Active Noise Cancelling

Yes

Weight

-

Connectivity

-

Frequency Response

-

Battery Life

-

Impedance

-

Sensitivity

-

Frequency Response

-

Type

On/Over-Ears

Cable

-

Active Noise Cancelling

-

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Great sound performance, effective noise cancelling and long battery life in a compact package

Most full-sized, wireless over the ear headphones are quite heavy and bulky. The QC 35s on the other hand are relatively compact and light, yet still deliver great performance, battery life and top notch noise cancelling.
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Pro
 Light and easy to wear

Despite having internal batteries, these headphones are still fairly lightweight, coming in at 235 grams. This makes the QC35 really easy to wear for extended periods and even while traveling.
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Pro
 Fairly balanced sound signature with slight boosts to the mids and highs

Bass is full and punchy. While the sub-bass is not pronounced, there is good and fast bass extension, and this is what gives the music punch and a sense of tightness. The mids are full and slightly forward so vocals and guitars can be clearly heard. The highs are clear and do not distort at high volumes. There is a peak on the upper treble which helps to add more detail and clarity to the music, but some may also find the high frequencies to be quite harsh at times.
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Pro
 Great for on the go use as they are wireless

With these, you won't have to deal with long and dangling cables that can be difficult to manage.
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Pro
 Very good battery life

The QC35s can play music continuously for up to 20 hours. This should cover most of your trips' duration before needing to recharge.
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Pro
 Ear cup buttons allow easy control

You can easily control playlist functions using the buttons on the right ear cup. These functions include volume control as well as the play, pause, next track and previous track commands. The on/off switch for the headphones is also on this ear cup.
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Pro
 Feels soft and comfortable

The QC 35's ear cups and headband feature quality memory foam material which are soft and supportive so they do not pinch on your ears or apply too much pressure to the top of the head. These contact points are also covered with a quality leather material which feels nice and smooth on the skin.
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Pro
 Mic produces great voice quality

Multiple microphones are strategically located on both ear cups, allowing for great voice quality when taking calls. The noise cancelling also helps to clean up the voice quality that goes into the headphones.
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Pro
 Has wired and Bluetooth connectivity

Aside from Bluetooth connection, you can also connect the QuietComfort 35 to a source using a 3.5mm cable. This makes the headphones usable even with the battery depleted.
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Pro
 Built in mic allows hands-free calls

You can simply press a button on the right ear-cup to answer a call. This reduces the hassle of having to remove the headphones to take a call.
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Pro
 Great active noise cancelling

Bose's noise cancelling tech is quite effective at blocking ambient noise. This will help you fully enjoy the music with little to virtually no outside noise interfering.
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Con
 Noise cancelling may cause ear discomfort

Some experience a feeling of extra pressure into the ears when noise cancelling is on. Many find this to be unpleasant.
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Pro
 Fun-sounding with good details to the audio

The bass is impactful and controlled which works really well with most genres that are popular today. The mids are slightly forward at just the right levels, which ensures that the vocals can be clearly heard. The highs are emphasized and sound great with a lot of clarity and detail, especially on the upper registers.
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Pro
 Effectively cancels outside noise

The MDR 1000x's active noise cancelling is one of the best in the market today. With the mode activated, a significant amount of outside noise is blocked, allowing you to really enjoy your music with minimal distractions.
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Pro
 Quick Attention mode allows easy conversations

If you need to talk while using these, all you need to do is to cover the right ear cup with the palm of your hand. This activates Quick Attention mode which cuts off the music and amplifies voice for easy conversation. To get back to listening to music, all you need to do is to remove the palm from the ear cup.
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Pro
 Long battery life

The internal battery can give up to 20 hours of listening to music.
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Pro
 Built in mic makes taking calls very easy

There is a built in microphone which negates the need to remove the headphones to answer a call.
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Pro
 Can be used wired or wireless

You can use these headphones wired using the detachable 3.5mm cable or you can go wireless with Bluetooth.
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Pro
 Right ear cup functions as touchpad remote

Swiping or tapping on the right ear cup's surface can pause or play track, go to the next track or go back to the previous one and can control volume levels as well.
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Pro
 4 noise cancelling modes to choose from

Users can set the feature to enabled or disabled, or set it to Ambient Sound which then offers 2 more options. Normal Mode allows some outside noise through, while Voice Mode allows voice frequencies through the noise cancelling.
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Pro
 Good noise isolation

These have great noise isolating properties and can block out a good amount of sound even with the noise cancelling off. The ear cups are closed back, the ear pads go over the ear and seal well, and this effectively minimizes sound leakage to and from the headphones.
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Pro
 Carrying case allows for easy and secure transport

This comes with a carrying case that is made from high quality materials. It should provide extra protection to the headphones against scratches and minor impacts, which are quite common when taking these while traveling.
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Pro
 Headphones can fold down to a more compact size

The ear cups can be folded into the headband. This reduces the headphones' size so that it can easily fit inside bags.
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Con
 Highs can be too piercing

The boosted highs add a lot of detail to the sound that these headphones produce.This also makes it too harsh for some.
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Con
 Weight can cause comfort issues

If heavy headphones are not your thing, then these may not be for you. The use of quality yet hefty and the internal battery contributes to the overall weight. As such, these can put a little extra strain on the head and neck when worn for long periods.
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Pro
 Powerful bass with good detail on the mids and highs

The sound tuning of these headphones is focused on the lower frequencies. The bass is quite powerful with good sub-bass extension. Users who listen to a lot of hip-hop, dance and bass-heavy music will certainly enjoy the oomph that these headphones can give. The mids sound natural and smooth, yet the lower regions of these frequencies can be overwhelmed by the powerful bass. The highs are crisp and clear though, which prevents the sound from getting too muddy.
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Pro
 Companion smartphone app offers extra functionality

Sennheiser offers the CapTune smartphone app which allows users to see the battery level of the headphones, adjust the headphones' EQ, and control other functions.
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Pro
 Headphones automatically pause/play when put on/removed

The Smart Pause feature detects if you are removing or putting on your headphones. These gestures will trigger the music to pause or play automatically.
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Pro
 Comfortable to wear for long periods

Soft foam and leather are used in the interior and exterior of the ear pads respectively which makes them feel really soft and smooth on the head. The same material choices can be found in the headband.
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Pro
 Right ear cup functions as remote

When in wireless mode, you do not need to use buttons in order to control the functions of the headphones. The right ear cup lets you control the headphones through touch gestures. You can swipe left or right for next or previous track, swipe up or down to increase or decrease the volume or tap on the ear cup to pause or play track as well as answer or end calls.
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Pro
 Great passive noise isolation

These headphones are quite effective at preventing sound leakage, and also passively block out noise really well. This is achieved by the closed ear cup design along with the effective seal from the leather-surfaced ear pads.
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Pro
 Can fold down for easier travel

You can twist the ear cups and then fold them into the headband for a smaller, more travel friendly size. In this state, it should take up a lot less space inside your bag for less hassle when used on the go.
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Pro
 Noise cancelling levels can be adjusted

You can set just how much noise is cancelled by the headphones, from maximum active noise cancelling, to an ambient mode which allows some sound into the headphones. You can also turn the feature off entirely.
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Pro
 Effective noise cancelling

The feature works really well in preventing outside noise from intruding into your music listening experience. Also, there are very little to no reports of a feeling of pressure in the ears when the feature is active.
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Pro
 Carrying case gives headphones extra travel protection

The case is made from a tough fabric material which should protect the headphones from minor bumps and scratches.
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Con
 Gesture tracking can be too sensitive

Simply brushing your finger onto the right ear cup can trigger a command for the headphones. This can be annoying for some people.
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Pro
 Great at blocking ambient noise

The noise cancelling is very effective, allowing you to truly enjoy your music with little interference from ambient sound.
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Pro
 Detailed highs and punchy bass

The highs are the highlight of the Parrot Zik 2.0's sound signature. They are very clear and crisp without adding any harshness to the sound. The bass is also very good as the headphones can produce a very satisfying rumble and punch in the low end. The mids are slightly recessed, so instruments like guitars and the vocals are not too prominent, but are still clear.
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Pro
 Gesture controls on right earcup

You can swipe left or right for previous or next track, tap to play or pause as well as answer calls with the headphones on. This can be very convenient, as you do not need to deal with small and difficult to press buttons.
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Pro
 Decent battery life

From a full charge with all of the audio features on, you can get anywhere from 5 to 7 hours of listening time. However, if you choose to run these in airplane mode (wired connection with noise cancellation) you can get around 16 to 18 hours of use.
Comment

Pro
 Music automatically pauses when taking these off

When you take the headphones from your head or put it back on, the music can automatically pause or resume. The Zik 2.0's Presence Sensor detects such motions, negating the need to manually pause/play the music.
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Pro
 Companion app offers lots of customizability

There are iOS and Android companion apps for advanced settings. These allow for equalization, virtualization, turning noise-cancellation on and off, changing output frequencies and sound stage among other things. These settings can be applied on an artist/album/song basis and shared with other owners of Zik headphones.
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Pro
 A number of color variants available

Aside from the sleek looking design, the Zik 2.0 also comes in a number of colors including black, white. blue, red and many more. These options are great if you have a specific color preference.
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Pro
 Wired and wireless connectivity

The Parrot Zik 2.0 features Bluetooth as well as NFC connectivity for wireless use, which is great for modern smartphones or devices. If your music player does not have wireless connectivity, a 3.5mm jack can be used.
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Con
 Charging can be slow

You may need to remember to charge these headphones on a frequent basis. It takes around two and a half hours to charge this battery from empty to full, which may be too long, especially if you are always on the go.
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Con
 Presence Sensor can be too sensitive

At times, even slight unintentional movement of the head can trip off the Presence Sensor, pausing the music. This can get very annoying if it happens frequently.
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Con
 Can be a hassle to take on the go

The industrial design of the Parrot Zik 2.0 looks amazing, but also comes at the cost of the portability. The ear cups cannot be folded into the headband. You will need to account for its size when travelling. An alternative will be for you to hang these off your neck while on the go, which may not always be comfortable.
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Pro
 Warm sound with good low-end punch

The highs of these headphones are not very bright or airy, but still present a good level of detail. The mids are slightly recessed, but vocals can still be easily heard. The bass reproduction however is what makes these shine, as there is very good depth and power. Bass-heads will very likely love this sound signature.
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Pro
 Stable Bluetooth connectivity

The wireless connection is very good for a budget pair. While the range isn't too far, connection stability is pretty good. This is a significant improvement compared to other budget wireless headphones that may have frequent signal drops.
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Pro
 Clamping force is quite firm

The firm clamp means the Move Wireless will stay in place, even if you move a lot like when running or working out.
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Con
 Clamping force may cause discomfort

The firm clamping force combined with the on-ear design can put quite a bit of pressure on the ears. This can result in some discomfort when these are worn for extended periods.
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