You may think it’s excessive, but to me, it makes perfect sense. As someone who listens to music almost every second of the day, I have come to appreciate the beauty of having a pair of headphones to get me through every day tasks and another pair for detailed listening.
I have one pair of headphones that comes with me everywhere. They get thrown into my work bag, chucked around my neck, tossed down on the floor next to the treadmill. What I’m trying to say is, they are well-loved. I can rely on them, and they never let me down. For me, these are the Beats Studio3 headphones.
And while these headphones have served me well, I also love having a pair of higher-end headphones that I can use to really listen to music. These are the headphones I listen to music with to hear every layer of the song, the harmonies of the vocals, and generally appreciate the whole production. My go-to headphones to take on this task are the AKG N9 Hybrid headphones.
And while it may seem like overkill, I couldn’t be without either of these cans; they both serve a purpose in my day. And as someone who adores taking in every detail a song has to offer, especially when my favorite artist releases a new track, a casual and a detailed listening option is my dream.
The everydayers
So, my everydayers: the Beats Studio3 wireless headphones. These cans were first released in late 2017, so they are pretty old, but they still hold up incredibly well today. And with their age comes a reduced price tag, since there are newer versions of these headphones available.
The Studio3 headphones are $124, making them a real budget dream, but you still get the classic Beats quality. They are comfortable to wear all day long, whether I’m working at my desk, taking a midday stroll, or headed out on an evening run.
Like I said, while I just use these cans for everyday listening, I still love their sound profile. They can support any genre I throw at them with ease, and I listen to everything from classic rock to synth pop to metal.
And besides the great sound, the battery of these cans is also great. They are fast-charging enabled, so if I ever forget to keep them fully charged, I can charge them for 10 minutes before rushing out the door and get three hours of listening time.
When fully charged, they have 22 hours of battery, which is more than enough to get me through two days. And they get pretty loud, so I never listen above a medium volume setting, and this helps to conserve the battery.
The boujee pair
If you keep up with my audio reviews, you will know that the standard I hold all headphones to is the AKG N9 Hybrid headphones. They are $449 and worth every penny; they are the best headphones I have ever used. I reach for them every single day when I want to take in the details of songs and appreciate the production.
They have superb sound quality and a customizable sound profile to make sure they suit whatever genre you listen to perfectly. By altering the EQ settings, I have heard details in songs I had never noticed before, opening up a whole new world of listening for me.
The ANC on these cans is customizable with the option to be ambient aware and allow in conversation sounds or turn off ANC altogether. This means they are perfect for me to use at work as well as when I want to listen to music in complete silence.
Unfortunately, the AKGs are currently unavailable for purchase in the U.S., but I have another pair that I absolutely love that are pretty close in performance: The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.
There isn’t a whole lot that separates these two cans apart from the far superior battery life and stronger ANC of the AKGs.
The Bowers & Wilkins headphones are $449, like the AKGs. and deliver high-quality, crisp sound. For me, a pair like this is essential in your headphones and earbud rotation as they can open up a whole new soundscape for music lovers.
The price tag they come with is pretty cheap. But headphones like these or the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are essential because they have the ability to deliver high-quality, crisp sound without sacrificing
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