I had a pair of Sony WH-1000XM headphones that died a loud screeching death. I tried repairing them, but no dice. I decided to find a pair of high quality wired headphones instead.

I had a few requirements for my replacements:

• awesome sound
• very durable
• closed back design for passive noise cancelling (no more screeching from noise cancelling mic moisture buildup)
• easily repairable
• a better headset cable connector than 3.5mm
• no built in battery
  • These batteries are often not user serviceable, and can be hard to find.
  • when these built-in batteries die, you have e-waste unless you’re handy with a soldering iron.

I think I have my perfect “wireless” headphones now!

The setup

What I love most about this setup is modularity. If one piece fails, I replace just that component — no need to toss an entire $500 headset. The headphones last forever, the cable costs $10, and the Qudelix-5k is a self-contained unit that can be replaced independently.

beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X

beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X (on Amazon)

Why I love these headphones:

• These are the best sounding headphones I’ve ever used. They can push well beyond any reasonable listening level, and without any audio distortion at either the high or low ends of the sound stage.
• They’re incredibly comfortable.
• The build quality is incredible: these feel solid.
• Everything on these headphones can be torn down and completely replaced with extra parts available for purchase from beyerdynamic.
• The cable uses a “Mini XLR” connector on the headphones and a standard 3.5mm jack for other devices.

Qudelix-5k

Qudelix-5k (on Amazon)

Why I love this little rectangle:

• I can pair to both my laptop and my phone and switch between both by just pausing audio on one device and starting audio on the other. (no complicated gesture or button sequence to remember)
• ~13 hours of play time before needing to charge the built-in battery
  • at least when this battery dies, I can just replace this little gadget
• Qudelix has released a mobile app to customize and fine tune way more than I understand about audiophile settings.
• The audio profiles available in the mobile app are easy to apply and have tuned the sound of my headphones to make them better sounding than I thought possible.

Mini XLR cable

3-Pin Mini XLR to Jack Right Angle 3.5mm Plug Stereo Audio 1/8" TRS Male to Mini XLR Male Adapter Cable for Camera Headphone (via AliExpress)

Why I love this cable:

• It’s short and keeps out of the way
• The Mini XLR connector fits snuggly into my headphones
• There are no cutouts; no hissing, static, or popping sound artifacts