Is it worth getting new ANC headphones when mine still work fine? (Explanation below)

Submitted by meekostar t3_z7jyfi in headphones

Hey all.

So 3 years ago I bought ANC Bose QC 35 ii and Sony WH-1000XM3 at the same time and use them interchangeably for sleeping and for commuting.

Both still hold up pretty well. The only decline in quality I’ve noticed is the Bose ear pads are ripping, they both have more trouble connecting to Bluetooth and staying connected, and occasionally the Sonys started to have some cracking in the right ear but that’s since gone away somehow. I also don’t know if it is possible that the ANC quality has declined or if it’s just my perception of the world being too loud these days.

Anyway I feel silly buying new headphones when these still work fine, but I worry one day soon they will just start to crap out on me and I won’t have those sweet sweet Black Friday deals to back me up if I need to buy a replacement.

Also, if I want to keep these same models I have now but upgrade them, I can get the Bose QC 45 and Sony WXM-4 which has sales right now. They are so similar to the headphones I have now so I wouldn’t have to adjust very much to get used to a new design. These companies are known for discontinuing their products eventually, so I don’t want to wait another year for new headphones and then the new ones they come out with have a design that doesn’t work for me but I can’t go back to a previous design I preferred best. For example, the Bose 700 don’t work for me for sleeping (and are expensive af) so if they wanted to move in that direction and discontinue the rest, I’d be screwed.

Should I just go ahead and get new headphones to make sure I’ll have something that would be there for me for the next 3 years? Or is it a waste of money and I should keep the ones I have for as long as possible? What would I even do with the old headphones if I got new ones?

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doctt t1_iy79v74 wrote

I have QC 35ii and just replaced my ear pads. Only cost $20. Feel like new again.

Many say QC35ii sounds better than QC45. I have not tired QC45 yet. Not sure if it is true or not. I tried XM4, but I like my QC35ii better because it sounds a bit more natural to me. XM4 has too much bass and is lack of clarity to me.

I would not concern about companies discontinuing their old models. QC45 and XM-4 are extremely popular. You can easier find them even when they get discontinued. Worse case, go to Ebay and buy a refurnished ones. Replace the earpad and it feels like new again.

My point is that there is no reason to buy a new pair because of "just in case" while you are still enjoying your current one. Sometimes better will come out. Wait until you need one and buy the best one within your budget then. You may end up having a better headphone.

just IMHO

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meekostar OP t1_iy7agfe wrote

Replying to doctt (#757,486)

Thank you for your insight! You make good points. I hesitate with buying refurbished electronics. In the past when I’ve done that there’s always been something wrong with them. New products will always last longer and be more worth the investment. But it is still an option.

I was worried about them discontinuing their products because the XM5 is so different from the 4, if they continue to move in that direction, they will quickly disregard the 4 and its predecessors. Having headphones I am already very used to and that fold for travel is helpful for me.

And yeah I’ll definitely get new ear pads for the Bose if I decide to keep using them.

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meekostar OP t1_iy7b6rp wrote

Replying to doctt (#757,645)

I tried QC 45, XM5, and XM4 at an electronic store near me. I was really impressed with the XM5 in terms of sound and ANC. QC 45 sounded good, better in the higher-mid range. XM4 sounded better with songs that had heavy bass. The QC 45 and XM4 had the same pros and cons that I experience with the 35 ii and XM3 but with slightly better ANC and sound quality. So ultimately a very hard decision to make with all 3 of them! I feel like you can’t really know what headphone suits you best until you actually bring them home and try them out, but that’s not a very accessible thing to do.

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doctt t1_iy7c5ko wrote

Replying to meekostar (#757,712)

If you like either QC45 or XM4 over your QC35ii, then it makes sense to buy it now because it is an upgrade, not "just in case".

U can use your QC35ii as a backup or use it in a rough condition. Many people has more than 1 headphone. Mine included 😁

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meekostar OP t1_iy7d7d0 wrote

Replying to doctt (#757,842)

So true!! I also have the XM3 in addition to the QC35ii. So whatever I get next should be an upgrade for sure. Even though the headphones I have now are good, I’m still itching for even better noise cancelling quality. I feel like I still struggle with noise bleed when out and about on the train and stuff.

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ultima-ratio-populi t1_iy9qybz wrote

I have the QC35 and the XM3. I've had 2 pairs of XM3 that pick up a faint rumbling noise in one ear, it doesn't go away with reflashing the firmware or anything. The XM3 I bought, 3rd pair, that doesn't have that problem came with a cracked headband, it's currently sitting in pieces as I had to desolder 12 tiny wires to replace the cracked part.

It's possible you got a firmware update on your bose that nerfed ANC.

I vote, replace your Bose earpads and use those till they break and then buy something neither bose nor sony if you want an improvement, ANC headphones are starting to get some quality options like Focal Bathys. I personally won't buy any new bluetooth gear that doesn't support LDAC, Aptx-Lossless or at least Aptx-HD.

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