Noise-cancelling headphones - recommendations?

[avanutria]

Anyone have some? What do you like and not like? I'd like to get a pair in the semi-distant future. I'd go for headphones rather than earphones most likely.

edited to add that I wear glasses so they would have to be able to accomodate that comfortably! I never said I'd make this easy...

[FJohnSharp]

Bose invented the technology for pilots. They are probably the industry standard bearer, but not without a price.

[herbivore12]

I've tried the Bose noise-cancelling headphones, and found them pretty nice (though pricy).

I've been travelling a lot on business lately, so I finally broke down and bought an iPod. After trying various options, I invested in a pair of Shure earbuds. They're not actively noise-cancelling, but are "sound-isolating", as they seal the outside world out so well. The pair I have, the E-3c, used to rival the Bose headphones in price, but can be found now for a little over $100 on the web. I find them more comfortable -- almost completely unobtrusive -- than headphones, which often give me a headache after a while, or don't allow me to turn and rest my head on the airplane seatback like the earbuds do. They're *much* more comfortable and MUCH better quality than the crappy earphones Apple supplies with its iPod. Came with a wide selection of earbuds so I could find the ones that fit best. And if you're a space-conscious packer and traveller, like me, they beat headphones hands down. The sound quality, I think, is at least as good as the pricier Bose headphones, and maybe even better (to me). And there's a weird effect I found on all the active noise-cancelling headphones, which is a sense of pressure on your eardrum, like you're swimming. I suppose its due to the constant white-noise the 'phones generate to counter the outside noise. I find it sort of unsettling, but not unbearable.

Info on the Shure earphones is here:
http://music1online.com/dereofnewshe.html

and on Bose headphones:
http://reviews.cnet.com/Bose_QuietComfo ... ml?tag=top

I still find the headphone and earphone experience a little weird, since it seems like the music is happening inside your skull (at least it does to me). There's definitely a good 3-D effect, but all the dimensions are in my head, not out there in the world. It always makes me feel a little strange.

A side note: last time I used mine, I was in a Jet Blue plane, watching another Jet Blue plane on TV as it landed and its front landing gear collapsed on live TV. That was a weird experience . . .

[avanutria]

Herbivore, I read about that plane - must have been an unsettling experience!

I want active sound-cancelling because I will mostly be using them on extremely noisy public transport (ie, London Underground) and sometimes on airplanes. I want headphones rather than earbuds because buds are extremely uncomfortable for me and never fit well.

My biggest concerns are 1) ability to cancel noise and 2) comfort. Even if I don't play any music through them, it would be worth the money to cancel out some of the earshattering shrieking metal sounds on parts of the Northern Line. I'm sure it's not doing my hearing any favours!

And thanks for the links, I'll check them out!

[lyrick]

I bought a pair of Plane Quiet NC-6 noise cancelling headphones after researching prices, reviews, etc. They were $55, the Bose I believe are $300. I've since compared them side-by-side, and the Bose are better but I didn't think the difference was that big. If I could have afforded the Bose I would have bought them, but I'm happy with the ones I got.

The Bose headphones have bigger and tighter sealing ear cups, so they not only have the noise cancelling technology but they also seal out some of the external sound. I think that's why they're better than the NC-6, which have smaller ear cups that don't go all the way over the ear and don't seal very tightly. My guess is that the noise cancelling technology itself is the same in both brands.

They're great at cancelling out the lower frequency sounds, the hum and deep rumble in an airplane, they're not as good at cancelling out the higher frequency sounds, like the hiss of the air system in a plane, although they do cancel some of the high frequency sounds. I've used them in an office with a loud air conditioner and they were great for that. The NC-6 (and probably the Bose, too) boost any audio signal coming in, so if you plug it into a music device or the audio system of an airplane you've got both the noise-cancelling technology and the boosted signal, which makes a difference. Mine takes a AAA battery that lasts about 15 hours. I won't fly without them.

They do get a little bit uncomfortable after wearing them for a few hours, but that would probably happen with any headphones or earplugs. I've used mine in cars but not in public transport, not sure how they'll do there--probably a lot better than nothing, but not quite as good as you'd like.

I'm very happy with the NC-6 for the price. When I bought them they were cheaper on e-bay than from the company (planequiet.com).

[herbivore12]

I want headphones rather than earbuds because buds are extremely uncomfortable for me and never fit well.

Ah. Well, then, the Bose headphones were the best noise-cancelling headphones I tried. Quite nice.

I wear glasses, too, which is one of the reasons I find headphones uncomfortable, as they press the sidebars into my head. Too bad they can't invent a Personal Portable Silence Bubble for us to travel around in. Alas.

I guess another option would be to have personal earbuds made to fit you perfectly. I have no idea what the price is for those . . .

FWIW, I thought I was going to hate the earbuds, too -- I sure hated the things the iPod came with -- but the variety provided with the Shures let me find a bud that fits very comfortably. You still notice it, of course, but I got used to it quickly. Sort of like contacts. Annoying as heck at first, but then you get used to 'em. Of course, I don't wear contacts anymore . . .

I think there's a member of C&F who specializes in headphones/earphones: headwizer, maybe?

Just checked: yep, that's him. There's a website with various reviews, info, etc. for various 'phones at:
http://www.headwize.com/

Good luck; save that hearing!

[avanutria]

Sort of like contacts. Annoying as heck at first, but then you get used to 'em. Of course, I don't wear contacts anymore . . .

Haha, neither do I.

I noticed that the wires for the Shures go over the user's ears. Does that get annoying?

I don't think I would get the Bose 2 because it says that when the battery dies, they don't work anymore, even as regular headphones! I have a bad track record with batteries, my MP3 player is constantly turning itself on in my bag and draining the juice.

I think there's a member of C&F who specializes in headphones/earphones: headwizer, maybe?

Just checked: yep, that's him. There's a website with various reviews, info, etc. for various 'phones at:
http://www.headwize.com/

Wow, great resource, thanks!

I think I might end up waiting for my next trip to the states and trying to find a shop that stocks some to try on... :/

[SteveShaw]

A side note: last time I used mine, I was in a Jet Blue plane, watching another Jet Blue plane on TV as it landed and its front landing gear collapsed on live TV. That was a weird experience . . .

Reminds me of that bit in the film "Airplane!" in which the in-flight movie being shown consisted of loads of air crashes, causing hysteria among the passengers. I'm laughing fit to bust now just thinking about that film!

Steve

[herbivore12]

Reminds me of that bit in the film "Airplane!" in which the in-flight movie being shown consisted of loads of air crashes, causing hysteria among the passengers. I'm laughing fit to bust now just thinking about that film!

Steve

Funny enough, when I flew to Australia on Qantas, one of the films being shown on the flight was that Tom Hanks flick that begins with a horrifying plane crash over the ocean, before he's relegated to afew years on a deserted island. To its credit, Qantas actualy showed the film uncut (I'm sure the plane crash would have been removed on an American airline), but the film began with a pretty stern warning about the impending crash.

"Airplane!" was much funnier than that Hanks film was, even counting that whole volleyball thing.

Ava: I don't find the wires from the Shures going over my ears any more annoying than wires from eyeglasses. Then again, I've worn glasses since age four, and am now in my mid-thirties, so I'm pretty inured to the sensation, probably.

(A side note, but I learned my first blues riffs on harmonica today, Steve -- a Hohner Special 20 -- and think I might get a couple to learn Celtic tunes on, though I despair of reaching your level of competence. Just ordered a couple of Lee Oskars, having had such fun. The blues riffs come surprisingly easily; such a nice warm feeling, to make musical noises so quickly with a new instrument (though I harbor no ilusions about actually becoming proficient on the thing, believe me). Anyway, very nice samples on your website; think I'll be sending you some money for the whole shebang soon!)

--Aaron

[herbivore12]

I don't think I would get the Bose 2 because it says that when the battery dies, they don't work anymore, even as regular headphones! I have a bad track record with batteries, my MP3 player is constantly turning itself on in my bag and draining the juice.

Oh: and I think that all of the good noise-cancelling headphones I tried required batteries. Sorry! But I think it's only one or two batteries each, and gives like 30 - 40 hours of running time each, so you would probably not lose the 'phones very often, unless you're spending inordinate amounts of time on the road.

[DADGAD]

I love my Bose and, believe it or not, have never had to replace the batteries..and I use them at the gym all the time when I'm running on the #^@%%&& treadmill. I wear glasses and, to me, they're quite comfortable, at least for 1 1/5 hours at a stretch. I was lucky, however---they were a Christmas present last year and I didn't have to shell out the money to buy them myself. I generally use them with my Ipod.

[fearfaoin]

And there's a weird effect I found on all the active noise-cancelling headphones, which is a sense of pressure on your eardrum, like you're swimming.

That's what always scared me about noise-cancellation headphones. Noise
cancellation works on the principal that waves are additive: if you broadcast
2 copies of the same wave in the same direction, they will add together and
make a wave twice as loud as the original wave. However, if you delay one
of the waves (this is called changing the phase of the wave) the two
waves will subtract. And if you delay one wave enough (so that the two
waves are 180 degrees out-of-phase), the waves will cancel each other out.
But, since sound is a pressure wave (it travels by putting pressure on air
molecules, making them move), there is still pressure exerted by the
cancelled-out waves. For your ear to hear a sound, the pressure has to be
changing, but when the waves cancel, you have the same pressure
constantly. This will put the constant pressure on your ear, especially with
sealed headphones. I have no idea if this is bad for your ears, but it seems
wierd to me.

[Tony]

Beth, did you mention budget??
I did some research to find prices range from $30-300.

[avanutria]

I didn't mention budget because me taking the tube every day is contingent on me finding a job, so I wouldn't getting anything till I am gainfully employed.

and I think that all of the good noise-cancelling headphones I tried required batteries.

Oh, I didn't mean something without batteries. But I read a review about the Bose 2 specifically, which said that they had been redesigned to house the batteries *within* one of the earpieces rather than a seperate box on the wire, but the side effect was that when the battery died the headphones stopped transmitting your music through. Which implies (to me anyway) that you can't turn the cancellation function off and just use them as normal headphones on journeys that aren't as noisy.

[TonyHiggins]

I've visited epinions.com for good reviews of electronics before. Very helpful.
Tony