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?
- can be powered via wire or have batteries that last 12+hrs (long-haul flights)
- have decent noise cancelling
- 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)
- are not overly expensive (I have to buy 2 pairs and I’ll only use them a few times a year when I fly)
Soundcore by Anker Life Q20+ headphones have been good to my family. Seventy bucks, has a detachable aux cord (wired only does normal though, no ANC), stellar battery life even with ANC, microphone, has normal and pass-through modes in addition to ANC, and a nice protective bag. I used them for months as regular headphones attached to my computer. The ANC is not the end all be all but definitely helps with plane noise, I could hear flight attendants much easier.
Edit - and no app required whatsoever!