OK, there are many different ways to approach your current setup.
Wired vs wireless isn’t that much of an issue as you can get very affordable Bluetooth adapters for your computer.
Also the goal of what you want your headphones to do is going to come into play here as well because you may want a stationary setup vs mobile.
Then there’s the microphone requirement…
Actually rather than fill an unrelated thread with headphone advice I’m going to DM you.
Anytime!
If you want to extend the life of your XM3’s you can get some high quality upgraded cushions from “Wicked Cushions” for $30. They have a couple of different styles other than just straight black.
Okay so this provides an interesting set of restraints as they are traveling headphones. I have yet to find what I consider the perfect traveling headphones but there are a couple I have found that come close.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra’s
Bose has some remarkable ANC, after all that is one of the things that really established their name in the market. My main two complaints with the Bose is the sound signature isn’t always the best (IMO) and that the app can be finicky at best bordering on terribly annoying.
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra’s are really amazing for the ANC and their sound is improved with their new processor but if you are on an apple device you will miss out on this feature. Only devices with a snap dragon 888 or newer can take advantage.
One of the caveats is that the microphone quality is not the best I had some complaints about call quality when using the Bose.
One pro is that they collapse into a smaller form factor with a slightly better carrying case.
For the Sony XM5 I really preferred the sound signature and styling is just Chefs Kiss. They fold flat enough which makes packing them easy enough even if they aren’t as small as the Bose. I also prefer that the XM5 has a 3.5mm audio jack instead of a 2.5mm on the Bose. It feels more likely to last longer. Also because they are slightly older you can probably find a better deal.
The Sony does a remarkably good job at rejecting background noise when making phone calls and has a much wider band of frequencies captured. The Bose sounds very tiny and scratchy.
The Sony also has a longer battery life which is nice.
I know you said that outrageous good noise cancelling is key but if you are willing to compromise a little on the ANC quality the Focal Bathys have far superior sound.
The frequency curve on the mids to low end is practically flat, it does fall off the tiniest bit on the upper mids and lower highs but for me this means you get a really accurate sound reproduction that isn’t tiring and can be listened to all day long. The soundstage is really wide especially given that they are closed back.
The looks are a bit odd and they are a bit on the larger side. They still fold flat and they have a superior amount of cushion and I think the build quality is better.
Oh if you are a bass head that just wants super punchy powerful bass go for the Sony’s over the Focals. The Focals are more accurate but less present.
Lastly is my currently traveling setup. Its… non-traditional. I am using a pair of Samsung Galaxy Pro 2 buds which really fit my ear well and already have some pretty remarkable ANC. Not nearly Headphone level but still very good. Here is the non-traditional part: if I REALLY need to block out outside noise IE on a construction site or in the shop I wear the buds underneath a pair of passive cancelling earmuffs. Specifically the Peltor X5 Earmuffs.
It’s not stylish but the Earmuffs + Buds + Comply Foam tips feels like you are in a void. Barely have to touch the volume to hear your music as clear as day.
Oh man Muse and Walk the Moon are some of my regulars. Haven’t heard of St. Lucia or Passion Pit, I’ll have to give those a listen.
Genuinely looking for new headphones?
Wired or wireless?
I kind of love headphones.
Out of curiosity what bands did it use for your example?
Also do yourself a favor and listen to Sleep Token and Jacob Collier.
Specifically:
For Sleep Token: https://youtu.be/uU5vVT_Cp7c?si=8BQSDhNCxGOAHjsr or https://youtu.be/44gbx5VEYPY?si=XNASMTOMohopmIhf
Jacob Collier: https://youtu.be/IQvzX0Z3HE4?si=s_C9g57JH69gaKYj and https://youtu.be/nspqYGz-Z1s?si=yleeBaKox1Cxm8yW
It’s kind of interesting to see all the weird correlations Spotify has pulled out of thin air. Apparently Fort Collins listens to a lot of Sleep Token, Brandi Carlile, and Jacob Collier.
Fort Collins, Colorado for me
Day one: Dear citizens, your elected government is stepping in to combat the extensive spread of misinformation and lies in consumer media. We have heard your desire for a safer cleaner internet based on scientific fact.
Day ???: Citizen of the state, receive your government sponsored daily truth. Any dissenting opinions will be met with immediate sanctions and corrective discipline. Remember, government is truth, government cannot lie. You will see reason or else.
Music. I can play close to a dozen instruments with enough skill that I could sit in as a stand in player for a large variety of genres. I do everything in my power to avoid letting people around me know.
I make music as a way to meditate and relax. I can throw down a synthesizer drone and spend an hour+ noodling on the piano, guitar, cello etc without doing any recording or writing down stuff. I’ve got probably 100 or so short 4-12 bar ideas saved on my computer. I probably will never do anything with them but I like going back and rediscovering where I was musically/emotionally.
The dubstep phase was, in a word, terrible.
I love when people like the guy you responded to show up, it’s so easy to block them on Lemmy.
I drive for UPS and the pick me up I get from taking a quick cat nap in the back of the truck cannot be overstated.
I can’t even begin to count how many times I have come acrossa slew of 5 star reviews for something COMPLETELY unrelated to the listed item at the very top of search results. Product: Wood Headphone Stand. Review: This kitchen whisk is so amazing, it saved my marriage, 23 out of 5 stars.
OH and don’t forget the reviewer that when you access their profile you see that they have posted 76 reviews in a single day and every single one of them is 5 stars with the title "Great ‘X’! " where x is the product title.
Don’t get me wrong, I used Amazon back when it only sold books and I’ve been using Prime since it came out non-stop but the quality of the items, the search results, and the trust I have in the platform has gone waaaaaaaaaay down.
Seriously, I average 3.5 hours of watch time a day so I am paying roughly 10 cents per hour. That is a phenomenal deal. I can’t think of any other form of entertainment anywhere remotely near that cheap.
Youtube is effectively the only form of streaming my wife and I use. We have access to others through family members accounts but probably 19 times out of 20 we go straight for YouTube.
Name another streaming service where I can watch a 171 video saga spanning six years covering every single nut, bolt, plank, and brass fitting of a historic sailing ship restoration.
I have lost count but I think we are up to something like 130 subscriptions.
Great ingenuity but if falling into the inventor trap of “I’ve figured out one part of the equation and am neglecting the rest of it”
The inventor says “Some additional off-the-shelf systems – brake and steering boosters, as well as e-heating and air conditioning – would also be added under the hood.” While also stating all the original components are remaining untouched.
Does he have any idea how cramped the majority of modern engine bays are? I used to work on saburbans, bucks, chevys, and ford’s where you could literally stand in the engine bays. Modern cars though? Good luck having enough space to even get your tool let alone your hand where it needs to go.
Also “Off the shelf” systems?
Heaters are a nightmare. Resistive heaters, while being the most common, cheapest and easiest to access, use obscene amounts of energy and would put a huge drain on the tiny batteries he is proposing being used. PTC heaters are a possibility but Heat pumps would be ideal. Heat pumps take up space and are best designed into a car from scratch.
E-brake boosters are definitely a thing but are not a one size fits all and ABSOLUTELY require the removal of the existing system.
Finally the AC… The best electric units I’ve seen are retrofit kits for classic cars. Once again those require significant removal of existing infrastructure in order to be installed. More of an issue though… they cost 2-4 thousand dollars! That’s certainly going to eat into the project 4-5 thousand dollar estimated installation cost.
Side note: These are effectively motorized wheel spacers and I have seen a ridiculous amount of damage to vehicles from wheel spacers that are just simple chunks of metal.
Innovation is always encouraged of course and hopefully his work leads to something applicable. As it stands right now it’s a bit of a pipe dream.
Two I surprisingly haven’t seen yet:
“I haven’t given a shit about anything in a while”
and
“I’ll just cancel the free trial”
You almost hit the nail on the head. Disney is not to blame in this situation at all. One of their designers went to shutterstock (totally normal) to buy and use some art (again, normal, industry standard), shutterstock sold the art that had been uploaded by an independent artist (that’s how this all works).
HOWEVER, the artist used AI to create his image and neglected to add the “Created using AI” tag to his art which is required by the terms and conditions of shutterstock.
In this instance both Shutterstock and Disney got taken for a ride and are getting the negative press because of an individuals decision.
You could technically blame shutterstock a little bit for not vetting what they host but as far as I am aware there are no reliable tools for determining if an image is AI with 100% certainty.
That’s actually pretty interesting. I started with minimalist footwear once I was old enough to start making shoe decisions myself and apparently that was partially causing some of the problems I was experiencing.
Five Fingers were my go to’s (once they came out) for most days and Vivobarefoot’s / Nike Free’s for when the social side of five fingers was in questionable taste.
It’s always fascinating to me how wildly different solutions are the exact remedy needed for different individuals. It’s why I always get a little irritated when you read someone saying “Use this thing AND THIS THING ONLY! everything else is junk and dumb and you will be a worse person for using it.” such a close minded approach to the world.
I’ve been out of the minimal shoe worlds for a bit minute, anything cool to come about recently?
Yeah, my blocked website list is growing everyday with websites that are literally just a 4 paragraph summary of a reddit post. 3 of the paragraphs are usually just "user ‘spezcocksucker’ says this but another person disagrees. Here’s the reddit link and 27 ads.