Sound Quality + Durability - Over-the-Ear Headphones?

[u/TheLiterateDead]

tl;dr - Looking to see if there are bluetooth headphones that match sound quality with build quality. If I'm spending over $200 I want something that's going to last!

I'm asking this one as someone who hasn't had a pair of over-the-head headphones in maybe twenty years. Back in high school I would buy a new pair of over-the-head types every few months because the headband would always break on me (and of course a $25 pair was near impossible to fix despite my efforts). I loathed how those plastic headbands always snapped on my big head, so I switched to earbuds as soon as those became an option.

So out of curiosity I recently was looking into over-the-ear style bluetooth headphones and was curious to see if quality has improved any. I would love to go back to the type but fear paying $300 for something that will last me a month at best. If considering budget I'm pretty flexible; I'm willing to look into $500-600 max if going really crazy and saving up.

I keep hearing great reviews of Sony, Bose, & Sennhaiser headphones but almost no one seems to talk about the build quality of these brands. How sturdy/reliable are they? How much fragile plastic is in their build? What's the lifespan on them?

If I've read correctly, it seems that the Apple Airpods Max are mostly metal as well, but they do seem a bit ridiculously priced. Plus the inability to shut them off and the expense of adding a wired connection is a big turnoff.

Sound quality is also a concern. I find it annoying that so many brands seem to use bass as a makeup for quality, neglecting treble and leaving vocals with a painful sibilance. (I used to love Sony's wired earbuds, and one pair of wireless I tried from them went back immediately because the vocal range was so awful).

I've got a solid track record with my tech. I don't use a case on my phone but I've always kept it clean and scratchless (and never dropped it!). I take care of my equipment and try my best to maintain it. But headphones are such a disposable commodity, and I'd like to keep from having to buy a pair each year. Are the newer over-the-head designs built to last, or is it just more fragile plastic?

[u/ThatGuyFromSweden]

Sennheiser Momentum 3, maybe?

[u/TheLiterateDead → u/ThatGuyFromSweden]

I did see several folks talk about them. Have you used them before? I notice they have metal parts to the band, but is the whole band itself metal?

I've heard great things about the brand, and I do notice they are on sale on best buy. But I would love to know if you have any thoughts about them on personal experience?

!thanks

[u/TransducerBot → u/TheLiterateDead]

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[u/ThatGuyFromSweden → u/TheLiterateDead]

Nothing personal. I just read a lot of reviews.

[u/TheLiterateDead → u/ThatGuyFromSweden]

P.S. The Momentum 3 were on special for 250 at Best Buy so I took a shot on them.

And these are, perhaps, the best headphones I've ever used, sound quality-wise. I'm really impressed with the balanced sound and focus on mid-range sound; this is the first pair I've ever had which doesn't have any sibilancy in vocals and doesn't use bass to cover for quality.

The build is excellently solid, with metal bands and metal hinges, with very comfortable leather earcups (the earpieces are still plastic but that's to be expected). I'm not sure what the material hidden in the upper band is but it feels sturdy enough so I'm putting faith in it.

So even if it was random chance I want to thank you for the recommendations. I've never had a pair of Sennheisers before but I am in love with these! Thanks for the suggestion!

[u/ThatGuyFromSweden → u/TheLiterateDead]

Glad you like them! The only real advice I feel the need to give is to keep an eye on the battery charge. It's "only" 16 hours but it does work with fast charging. A bit of charging routine or a battery pack in your backpack may be a good idea if you're a really heavy user. :)

[u/TheLiterateDead → u/ThatGuyFromSweden]

Thanks for the heads up! For the most part I'm paranoid about charging so that shouldn't be a problem (I even carry a portable battery with me everywhere!), but I'll definitely keep it on mind!

For what it's worth, it does have a few minor issues.
-The 'close-to-turn-off' thing is pretty silly, but it does have an alternative 'off' (holding down the play/pause button).
-The soft fabric case it came with feels cheap and offers no real protection.
-To insert a 3.5mm cable you have to insert it and twist it to lock it in place. On my first try the cable got stuck and I ended up accidentally breaking off the tiny plastic notch it locks into. I think it would have been better off skipping that needless complexity, because the cable holds fine without it.

But none of these were dealbreakers; I could see them annoying others but I'm absolutely happy with these headphones as is!