Active noise cancelling headphones

[leekb 0]

I am looking for a pair of such headphones. At over S$600, the Bose QuietComfort 2 is obviously the most pricey of such breed. This is the kind of money I would not be willing to spend. So I am looking for various options available in the market.

 

Do share with me your opinions and experiences on earphones like the Sennheiser PXC series, Creative HN-700, etc. etc.

[desmondwong 0]

i just bought the PXC250 last friday... and the ANC is quite good... was working with jigsaws and drills over the weekend and i had the PXCs on throughout..

 

the sound quality was also decent... though the bass was a bit lacking, the clarity was there. sound was a bit warm as well. fitting wise, it did slip out a bit when i moved around but i guess coz my ears are quite big and the ear pads were a bit small. but it was comfortable when it stayed on. didn't feel like i had them on, in fact.

 

well worth the S$259 i paid... btw, sennheiser gave me a set of in ear phones (MX400) free as a promotional deal..

Edited February 20, 2006 by desmondwong

[loop_ 0]

from what I've read (no experience with noise cancelling earphones), they are likely to distort music and are generally not considered the best headphones sq wise. Bose headphones are also notorious for their less-than-ideal sq.

 

you could also consider in-ear-monitors if you need isolation.

[desmondwong 0]

i guess when you're in a plane listening to music... i don't think you'd be getting 100% SQ already so it's probably alright...

 

Bose is way too expensive to even remotely consider...

[heady 0]

i guess when you're in a plane listening to music... i don't think you'd be getting 100% SQ already so it's probably alright...

If it is active noise cancelling you want, Sony has a model which is also in-ear, so quite small. Has good review in CNET. Stereo Electronics had them, just below S$200. But I have never used it or any other active system.

 

Edited February 20, 2006 by heady

[lekguan 0]

I have a pair of PXC-250 and I think it's just portable nirvana. The ANC works like magic for engine noise (bus, MRT). Ok a minor quirk is that hifi-wise its a bit over-priced for what u are paying. But otherwise, it's convenient. Something I would definitely recommend for commuting.

[Zephyron 0]

Avoid the Bose QC2, according to head-fi, it sucks. For its pricing, mid-bass or in general bass bloat and lack of any clarity whatsoever.

 

BOSE = Buy Other Stereo Equipment?

[BradPDX 0]

I own both the Senn PXC250 and the newer Bose QC2, and have used both extensively on flights and in other noisy environments for 2 years. I cannot wear in-canal phones, they all give me a royal headache in 10 minutes, so active cancelling for me.

 

Despite what HeadFi says, the Bose absolutely cream the PXC250 in virtually all regards IMHO. I actually consider the QC2 one of my overall favorite headphones, though that was not what I thought would happen!

 

Noise cancelling: I have A-B'ed both on several long flights. No contest - the Senns lack sufficient low end seal and capacity to combat the roar of a jet. You wind up cranking them way up. The Bose really do the job amazingly well, you can listen easily at modest volumes.

 

Comfort: Both are adequate here, but the Bose is remarkably light on the head for its size. The Senns have the advantage of being small, but that is about all you can say.

 

Convenience: Bose by a mile. The Senns use a separate dongle to hold the batteries and electronics, while the Bose are completely integrated. The Senns result in a pile of skinny wires in your seat, but the Bose just sit on your head like they should.

 

Sound: Bose by a mile and a half. The Senns sound decent with electronics ON, and dismal with electronics OFF. The Senns lack impact, extreme highs and lows but are pleasingly neutral. I still like them for some environments. The Senn electronics add noticeable hiss.

 

The Bose QC2s sound HUGE. Highs are less distant on the new silver ones than previous versions, but never harsh. Soundstage is wide and deep. Bass is extended to god-knows-what. Overly warm, but frankly in headphones this is the direction to err given the lack of "body bass". Impact is most satisfying. The electronics are remarkably quiet, I never notice hiss at all.

 

Summary: The Senns sound OK, reduce noise OK. The Bose sound like musical instruments, reduce noise amazingly. The increased bass of the Bose is really, really nice on planes where the low end is under constant attack. Since the bass never muddies the mids, it works. I honestly find the Bose QC2 to be the least fatiguing headphone I have ever owned.

 

I use Grados at home and for a long time they were my favorites - all that punch and sparkle. The Bose were purchased for travel, but I find myself gravitating to them more and more, even when I don't need the noise cancelling. They are simply very musical and reveal detail in a way that the Grados cannot do without sounding harsh and fatiguing.

 

Heresy, I know; but I have to say what my ears are telling me. Heck, maybe I'll try out the Bose Tri-Ports....

[Zephyron 0]

Problem lies in with the pricing of the Bose.

 

For that same price, there's a lot of headphones out there without ANC that you can get over the QC2.

 

IEMs would be a better choice in blocking out ambient noise as compared to ANC, and for that price, the UM2, SuperFi 5Pro, Etymotic ER4 and Shure e4 are readily available. With proper tips, these can cancel out as much as 3 times the amount of noise the Bose QC2 can (36-45dB of noise blockage for the IEMs) and you have batter quality sound, detail and sepaation than the Bose as well.

 

EDIT: Spell check

Edited March 18, 2006 by Zephyron

[nakedtoes 0]

I have heard the Bose crabs... pardon me.. but it no way sound better then even the PX200..

[Stereo_Electronics 0]

Enjoy music your way, Bose or Senn, some like it for the sound, some like it for the looks and some like it for the feel, as long as YOU like it, it really doesn't matter which brands or models sound better to others.