My Favorite Bluetooth Headphones (Bose, Monster, Beats, & JBL)

Video Transcript Below

Hey guys, Dan here from CLE Tech and today we’re going to take a look at some of my favorite bluetooth wireless headphones.

Now, just a forewarning, the headphones in this video are all pretty expensive but if you're interested in seeing a budget friendly version of this video, hit that like button and leave a comment down below which headphones you might want to see. If you're in the market for some premium wireless headphones, then this video might just be for you!

So first up, we have the Monster Elements and all it’s shiny goodness. The Monster Elements are very polished and reflective and although it’s part of what makes these headphones look great, it’s also what makes these guys a fingerprint magnet.

Thankfully, Monster recognized this and at least included a microfiber cleaning cloth inside the box. Along with a few other accessories inside, this is a really nice unboxing experience. In my opinion, if you’re going to drop $300 or more on something like headphones, every little detail, like packaging and presentation, is important.

The rest of the headphones are rounded out by some Monster branding on the sides, and the inside is lined with memory foam around the earcups, which provides a maximum level of comfortability for long periods of use. For me, most over-the-ear headphones start hurting my ears and sides of my face after long periods of use but the memory foam certainly helped prolong the inevitable discomfort.

Upon first glance, you will notice that there are no controls for volume or playback. This is because those controls are hidden in a specific zone on the right side of the headphones. This zone reacts to taps and swipes in order to play, pause, skip tracks, or even raise the volume.

Now I have to be honest, this isn't the most ideal way to change tracks or control volume on headphones. It’s kind of difficult to find the right spot and it isn't always super accurate with whatever gesture or control I am trying to achieve. Nevertheless, I think Monster wanted to focus on design and luxury over functionality and unfortunately, this is something that prevented these headphones from being one of the best that I have used.

Now, most people might be able to look past some of these negatives because something that Monster did get right is the sound. These headphones sound really, really good. Which they should, considering that they are super expensive. Even though you will spend a lot of money on these headphones, the sound will not disappoint and you will start to feel a lot better about your purchase.

You will get some punchy bass, and some crisp highs. Which is weird at first because upon first listen, I was surprised that these headphones were not super bass heavy and that's due to the highs being so crispy. They compliment each other very well.

The Monster Elements can be used wireless, of course, via bluetooth but also can be wired in if desired or if your battery dies. Speaking of battery, I wouldn't be too concerned about that because the Elements can last roughly 20hrs and will only need to be charged every few weeks or so.

All in all, the Monster Elements sound great, they look great, and are, for the most part, pretty comfortable. My main complaint is that they are a bit overpriced coming in at $350. Considering that these are DJ style headphones with the look and DJ style swivel cups, you might be shelling out the extra money for these features. To me, I think a good price for the Monster Elements would be right around $250. If you would like to pick up these or any other headphones featured in this video, check the description below for all the necessary links!

Next up are the new Beats Solo Wireless 3. I have never really owned a pair of Beats headphones before, so I decided to pick some up for this video and see if they were actually worth the $299 price tag.

As mentioned earlier, presentation and packaging is important to me, and considering that this is practically an Apple product, you're going to get a premium unboxing experience. Nothing really worth noting as far as included accessories, just your run of the mill headphone stuff like a carrying case, charging cable, and 3.5mm headphone cable.

Now what makes the Beats Solo 3 so appealing, especially to those who are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, is the new W1 chip inside. What does this mean? Well, all you really need to do is power on your headphones and grab your iPhone and the Beats Solo Wireless 3’s will immediately be recognized and one click away from being paired. Cherry on top, if you sync everything with iCloud, the next time you turn on your Macbook or iPad, your headphones are already synced up and ready to go.

Aside from that really useful feature, these are some pretty basic headphones. There's not much to the build quality, mostly made up of plastic with some Beats branding sprinkled throughout, and leather lining the ear cups. These are pretty lightweight, which to me, makes them comfortable as there is not a lot of pressure on the sides of your face when wearing for long periods of time. Now these are on ear headphones and those are generally a bit more comfortable to wear for longer sessions as opposed to over ear.

Battery life for these headphones are pretty good as Beats states that you will get roughly 40hrs of battery which I found to be pretty close to being accurate. Playback controls live on one side of the ear cup and actually provide you with a physical click in to play/pause and skip tracks.

Finally, these headphones sounded surprisingly nice during my testing. I don't really listen to a lot of bass heavy music and these headphones are very bass heavy BUT I found them quite surprising when listening to other genres like Indie or Alternative. If you do listen to a lot of bass heavy music, these might be the ones to go with. I feel like you are simply paying the premium price for the style and name, but I don't think you would be disappointed if you decided to purchase these headphones...although your wallet might.

Next up, we have what might be the steal of the video and that is the JBL Everest Elite 700’s. These are over-the-ear headphones and the cheapest pair of this video coming in at $199.

You might notice the unboxing theme of all these products so far has been superb so it's no shock that this theme carries over to the JBL Everest’s. Inside the box are all cables and cases that most of these other headphones included but again, in a great presentation and packaging.

These headphones are fairly plain in design. You’ll see some JBL branding on the cups which are made up of, you guessed it, plastic with comfy leather earcups. No these might not look like the best headphones, but they sound really, really good for the price. You’re also getting Active Noise Cancellation with different levels of ANC depending on the environment you might be in. The ANC is pretty good and does a really good job of blocking out unwanted noise but it's not the best. The title for best ANC belongs to a different pair but more on that in a minute. If you wish to tailor your audio more to your liking, you can download the corresponding JBL app for additional settings and features. Of course, these headphones sound great when listening to all types of music because the lows, mids and highs are pretty balanced. Making them perfect for almost all genres.

All of your necessary controls live along the outer rim of each earcup allowing you to power on the device, switch between your ANC levels, and of course play/pause and skip tracks.

The JBL’s are also one of the most comfortable of the four headphones in this video. I was able to listen to music and watch videos for a few hours without really having a soreness around my ears. If you do plan on listening for long periods, battery life is something to consider as it is not the best of the four. If using ANC and bluetooth, battery will last around 15 hours and without ANC you'll get an additional 10 hours coming in at 25 hours of use.

If you want to save $150 dollars and want some decent noise cancellation with real good sound, then these are the headphones for you.

Now if really have your heart set on getting what I think is the best of the best for $350, then it's obvious you must go with the Bose QC 35’s. There are many reasons why these headphones are worth the price tag but presentation is not one of them. Sure, everything looks clean and nice but the unboxing experience is a little bland for my liking. Now before you all get mad and says who cares, as I mentioned before, if I am spending the premium dollar, I want the premium look and feel. It’s an added bonus in my opinion. What you get with Bose is a slide out box, and cheaper cables as accessories.

The good thing here is that the carrying case is top notch. Easily the most durable and higher quality of the 3 previous pairs. You also get an airplane adaptor for those long flights. Which is exactly what these headphones are good for. Long flights or long durations in really noisy environments. It's a bit of a weird feeling at first but the Noise Cancellation on the QC 35’s is quite incredible.

This is what I would use if I was trying to focus on watching a movie or listen to music and want to completely eliminate all background noise. Which is practically what they do. It’s pretty ridiculous.

Just like the controls on the JBLs, you will find them on the side of the right ear cup. Unfortunately, you can't really turn off the noise cancellation feature of these headphones but I rarely want to do that anyways.

Now because of the noise cancellation, it does take a toll on some ears after long use. It's a weird feeling when taking them off and your ears might be a little sore but that feeling goes away quickly.

Audio sounds great with just the right amount of low end and crisp highs. You get to experience the layers of each song and these are easily my favorite headphones that I own and of 2016. I absolutely love them. To me, if you have the money and want some of the best of the best, get the QC 35’s. You will love them.

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