Help Choosing Headphone

August 3, 2020 1:13 PM

Should I go with wirecutter's recommendation or buy one on sale?

I'm looking for good over-ear bluetooth headphones. Wirecutter recommends the Jabra Elite 85H which is normally 200 bucks on Amazon (slightly higher right now). However, I got a Costco flyer showing that they have Sony headphones on sale, 50 dollars of, for a total of $150. These ones are the WH-H910N.

The specs for both items are very similar. Is there a big difference in quality? I generally trust wirecutter but I know headphone quality is so subjective. Whats the $50 difference going to get me? Thanks.

posted by MisantropicPainforest to Technology (6 answers total)

Personally, I would have no issue getting the Sony headphones. Although the Wirecutter does not mention the WH-H910N model, the previous version of those headphones, the WH-H900N, was a former top pick in both their Best Bluetooth Headphones and Best Noise Cancelling Headphones lists, and has only been removed as a top pick because it's not being produced anymore and may be hard to find. Of course, it's always possible that Sony has done something odd and the successor WH-H910N is not as good.

Caveats that should inform your opinion of my opinion: 1) I'm not an audiophile or a headphones expert, just another person who read Wirecutter articles when choosing my own bluetooth headphones a year ago. 2) I settled on the WH-H900N during that time, and have been happy with them.
posted by catabananza at 1:45 PM on August 3, 2020 [2 favorites]

Not to confuse you further, but you may be able to find Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones heavily discounted within the next week or two, as they are going to announce the WH-1000XM4 sometime this week. I have the WH-1000XM3, and it's a superb set all-around, and specc'd slightly higher than the WH-H910N. From what I can tell, the noise cancelling on those is more effective than on either of the two you're considering. But you might have to search a bit for a deal.

I think you'd be happy with the WH-H910N, though, and there is no reason not to get them for $150. That's a great price.
posted by scarylarry at 2:31 PM on August 3, 2020

1) I'm not an audiophile or a headphones expert, just another person who read Wirecutter articles when choosing my own bluetooth headphones a year ago. 2) I settled on the WH-H900N during that time, and have been happy with them.

This is my situation as well! My brother (who has owned both Jabra and Bose headphones and is somewhat more of an audiophile than I am) has also tested mine and was impressed, for whatever that’s worth.
posted by bettafish at 2:50 PM on August 3, 2020

Like catabananza, I got the Sony WH-H900N based on a previous Wirecutter recommendation and I like them very much. I'm also not an audiophile either but the sound quality and noise cancelling seem good and I've had no major issues with them. My brother is in the radio business and is picky about headphones and he didn't hate them so...
posted by Preserver at 3:23 PM on August 3, 2020

Having heard *some* Jabras over the years (but NOT that one), and having some experience with Sony audio gear, I think I'd have a hard time not picking the Sony here.

Wirecutter reviews of this sort of thing are pretty hit or miss for me, so I wouldn't read too much into their rec on it other than "works".
posted by uberchet at 4:23 PM on August 3, 2020

Response by poster: Cool. Thanks everyone. I’m gonna get the Sony’s, which seem to be a great deal esp when factoring in Costco’s return policy.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 5:03 PM on August 3, 2020